Super Smash Bros HD
by Epic Networks
Summary: When a NY City office security vault and a legendary Wii U GamePad called Magiic create links of portals connecting the Nintendo World and Our own World, best friends Jace and Hunt must join force with Nintendo characters-and other gamers-to protect it from the forces of evil. OCs from the Real World.
1. SSBHD: Cast of Characters and OCs

**Disclaimer**: The Smash Bros. series belongs to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><strong>Super Smash Bros. HD<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Story Bio<strong>: A direct sequel to Super Smash Bros. 3D. The Nintendo World invaded Our World. Now it's our turn.

_My name is Jacen Riders. But I usually go by Jace._

_And I'm Hunter Long. But I go by Hunt._

_We're best friends. One is nerdy, but the other one is the cool bean. _

_You might wanna change intro to avoid the arrogance._

_Long ago, I stole a Nintendo 3DS from Nintendo Corp. only to find out it was magical._

_And by the time we realized what happened, we brought Nintendo characters to life! We're talking actual Nintendo all-stars cast from the latest Super Smash Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U!_

_We went through many adventures together, trials and turbulences, and even ended up saving the world. BOTH worlds._

_Now fast forward to the present. Present Day New York City._

_We get a job at the well renowned gaming magazine on the planet: GamingPlanet. And the famous Alexei "the Rogue" Santiago is our new manager._

_But he is more than that. Like us, he's been chosen by the Galaxy Goddess Rosalina, to protect the Nintendo World, which was breached by Jace's nemesis: Simon the White Knight._

_He's actually my clone and used to be nice. But now he got madly possessed by the Dark Emperor and now the Nintendo World is in need of our help._

_But it's not just the Nintendo World. Our World too. Because portals are starting to pop out across the globe and Nintendo characters AND Nintendo fans get to travel across from here to there._

_So it's up to us to protect that gateway. But we need your help._

_We need the help of many Nintendo fans like us. Because we alone have the gift to see them and the weird thing going on around us. Thanks to the power of Nintendo Magiic._

_That's Magic with two i's._

_And it must be maintained and kept away from the forces of evil. Led by a notorious group called the Master Order._

_And the Crazy Order._

_And the Dark Emperor._

_And...Nintendo villains. Phew, boy! We got work to do!_

_Hope we get a bonus for it!_

_-Jace and Hunt-_

_PS: Did you know the Nintendo Magiic is shaped like a Platinum Wii U GamePad? Just sayin'!_

Main story mostly takes place in New York City, with lots of Nintendo World traveling.

xXx

* * *

><p><strong><span>Episodes:<span> **

_**-Prologue  
>-Episode 1: Premiere in HD<br>-Episode 2: Magiic in HD  
>-Episode 3: Gamers in HD<br>**_

xXx

* * *

><p><strong><span>OC Invitation::<span>**

This story encourages new characters and characters development. Which means Original characters are invited.

But these characters MUST be from Our World! That means there are a few ground rules that must be followed when submitting characters.

The Original Character **must**:

**_Be from Our World!_**  
><strong><em>Be of a different race and nationality<em>**  
><strong><em>Be either a gamer or a video-game hater<em>**  
><strong><em>Be a child, teen, or adult<em>**  
><strong><em>Must be 100% human (that means no fantasy monsters, no robots, or human that (use magicwas in another world/was and is a robot etc.…) Simon is an exception)_**

If ONE of the above requirements is not met, the OC will not be accepted, even if the OC's description is tempting to be included in the story.

This is the setup.

**Name:**

**Age:  
><strong>

**Gender:**

**Ethnicity (or Nationality):**

**Look (aka Physical appearance):**

**Personality:**

**Bio:**

**xXx**

**Original Characters**

_These are characters created by me. They are FICTIONAL. From my imagination only. They are NOT based on real people!_

**xxx Main Characters xxx**

**Name: Jacen 'Jace' Riders  
><strong>

**_Age_****: **23  
><em><strong>Gender<strong>_: Male

**_Ethnicity_**: -Half-Italian/Half-Japanese-American  
><strong><em>Look<em>**: -About 5'6''. Has short black spiky hair, his eyes are a bit slanted and sharp, olive-colored, and is average-build; gray plaid shirt, a white hoodie with a dark green coat, baggies and high tops.

**_Personality_**: -Extroverted bad boy with a rebellious, foolhardy, and energetic personality. Very friendly, but very superstitious. He has a deathly fear of anything supernatural.

**Bio**: The main character of the story. Born in Italy but raised in Japan, he's a rebellious, foolhardy, and energetic gamer who also happens to be the nephew of A Nintendo HQ engineer. He loves Nintendo video games, which makes him an expert player in all things Nintendo including the Smash Bros series. But when he's not playing video games, he's on the streets seeking thrills everyday to keep him going, even if they end up getting him in trouble and in jail just as much as he spends his days in the mall.

**xXx**

**Name: Hunter 'Hunt' Long**

**_Age_****: **23  
><em><strong>Gender<strong>_: Male

**_Ethnicity_**: -Japanese American.  
><strong><em>Look<em>**: -About 5'3'', dirty blond bob-emo hairstyle, large and comical eyes like Gohan in DBZ, slim build, sports a dark-blue blazer jacket over his green plaid shirt and corduroy blue pants and dress shoes.

**_Personality_**: -Shy but uptight. Always wants to do things by the book and tends to scold people who get themselves-and him also-in trouble. Very intelligent, very organized, but can be gullible at times and easily frightened.

**Bio**: The main character of the story and Jace's Japanese best friend since pre-K. He's a smart guy trying to make a living in New York while working for an IT company he's not so fond of, but keeps the faith about it... that is until he and Jace got their big break in an unexpected twist.

Unlike Jace, he is uptight, tends to panic under pressure, and always gets Jace out of tough situations. Despite all that stress with his best friend, Hunt sees him as a cool guy who has always been there for him… and is always the one who ends up pulling him out of tough situations… that is if he can find the resources to do so.

**xXx**

**Name: Simon**

**_Age_****: **Unknown  
><em><strong>Gender<strong>_: Male

**_Ethnicity_**: -Unknown  
><strong><em>Look<em>**: -About 5'6''. Has short black spiky hair, his eyes are a bit slanted and sharp, olive-colored, and is average-build; wears a black trenchcoat, and wears over his white vest a shirt that glows midnight-blue at night or under a shadow, but glows fiery-red in the daytime or under light.

**_Personality_**: -Introverted bad boy. Bold, courageous, but dark and prickly at times. Likes to toy with his enemies; but carries a strong sense of justice.

**Bio**: Simon is a mysterious being called the White Knight. He comes from the Nintendo World and once upon a time had adventures in Our World. He can be blunt, aggressive, and never takes no for an answer. He recently lost his powers to summon both his swords and his guns.

**xXx**

**Name: Serena **L'éclair****_**  
><strong>_

**_Age_****: **15  
><em><strong>Gender<strong>_: Female

**_Ethnicity_**: -French  
><strong><em>Look<em>**: -About 4'5'' with light brown wavy hair, heart-shaped light-colored face, blue eyes, and a million-dollar smile. She has on a red coat with fur turn-down collar, matching purse, brown boots, and a tiny white knitted beanie.

**_Personality_**: -She's hyperactive and a very nosy person, but she's also kind and sweet.

**Bio**: Hunt's 15-year old stepsister from France. Hunt didn't know about her existence until she came to NY to surprise him. She's the daughter of Hunt's stepmother who married his father after the latter divorced his mom. She's a gossip girl who's very chatty and can be clumsy at times. She used to be a gamer when she was a kid but grew out of it to pursue her dreams in photography. She's a celebrity stalker.

**xxx Recurring and Guest Characters xxx**

**-Desmond 'Dijon' Hatfield: **-The colorful gay receptionist of the _Gaming Planet_. He and Vicky (who he occasionally calls Victoria whenever she pisses him off) are BFFs and competitive rivals at the same time, vying for attention in the office.

**-Victoria 'Vicky' Cantrell: **-The beautiful raven-haired receptionist of the _Gaming Planet. _She's mischievous and conniving and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants.

**xxx Submitted Original Characters – Final Roster xxx**

_Characters who are accepted will make their way here, including Alexei 'Rogue' Santiago from SSBU. Because I love that character and because he fits the plot of this story, he automatically gets a spot here. Remember these characters DON'T belong to me. They are FICTIONAL. From their imaginations only, and they are NOT based on real people! Thanks readers for your submission._

**xXx**

**Name: Alexei 'Rogue' Santiago  
><strong>_(created by LittleSalai)**  
><strong>_

**_Age_****: **25  
><em><strong>Gender<strong>_: Male

**_Ethnicity_**: -French and Spanish  
><strong><em>Look<em>**: -Dark blue, worn jeans, a black tee shirt, gray hoodie, and dog tags around his neck. He's 5'11" with shaggy dark brown hair that reaches his shoulders and dark red eyes.

**_Personality_**: -He's the type of person who tends to be a bit serious but will lighten up once anyone gets to know him. He's pensive and over-analytic when a situation arises. Some would argue that he tends to act protective sometimes but does it with a good intension. He's also very dedicated to anything he does.

**Bio**: One of the main characters from **Super** **Smash Bros. Universe**, created by _LittleSalai_. Following the events of SSBU, Alexei returns to work for the game magazine _the Gaming Planet_ as executive editor.

He is known by the gaming community as an excellent reviewer and writer for articles on upcoming games under his penname 'Rogue Santiago'. He's a close friend of famous game voice celeb Elena Avalon and always rely on her for any gaming news and more, often getting classified information through her.

He now has his eyes set on Jace and Hunt because of their classified information relating to Nintendo.

**xXx**

**Name: Issiah Vincent**  
>(created by: zicex235)<p>

**Age:** 18  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male

**Ethnicity:** African American  
><strong>Look:<strong> Light blue jacket, Leather pants, black boots. He's at least 4'89" with black Faux-hawk hair and brown eyes

**Personality:** Carefree Always knows how to lighten up the mood (Sometimes) and he likes to tell a lot of jokes likes to dance and make a lot of references as-well but when things get serious he will try to be serious (Mostly Failing a lot)

**Bio:** He is a competitive smash player that is a decent player he goes to a place called gaming's finest it held a lot of smash bros tournaments that he like to join he always loses at the semi-finals and never got pass finals today he tries to train his skills to become a better smash and to one day win a tournament

**xXx**

**Name: Naveen "Navi" Mahoney  
><strong>(created by: Mace the Manakete)

**Age:** 19  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male

**Ethnicity:** Indian-American  
><strong>Look:<strong> heart-shaped, light-chocolate colored face, double chin, brown eyes, black wavy hairstyle, red balls bracelet, blue-jeans colored hooded shirt with the Triforce embroidery on the back, jeans, and white sneakers.

**Personality:** cheerful, optimistic, a flirt but not a womanizer.

**Bio:** a young man born to a Texan man and an Hindu woman, and has six siblings: three brothers and three sisters. He is very fluent in English and is a HUGE Zelda fan, and while most fans can't stand the famous fairy Navi, he loves her. He even made her name as his official nickname.

While his siblings have all grown up and got established, he instead chose to move from Dubai to the state a year ago, leaving behind a prestigious Engineering school, to find his biological father who left his family when he was a toddler. He's very adventurous and his mother constantly worries that he might get himself in trouble. The quest instead leads him to so much more.

**xXx**

**Name: Eve Sharma  
><strong>(created by: Mace the Manakete)

**Age:** 19  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female

**Nationality:** Indian-American  
><strong>Look:<strong> light-colored skin, egg-shaped face, long flat black hair that reached her shoulders, brown eyes, a small bindi, rainbow colored blouse with tassels at its end, skinny jeans, and converses.

**Personality:** Quiet, serious, and can sometimes be brutally honest.

**Bio:** Childhood friend of Naveen. She and he are polar opposite, but they are both smart kids. She used to play video games a lot when she was only a little girl, but quickly grew out of it and dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. She was prepping to go to university when Naveen's mom and her mom plotted to send her to the state, just to look after Naveen. She hates the idea of babysitting her friend but in the end went for it because she has a crush on him, but doesn't want to show it.

**xXx**


	2. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Smash Bros. The series itself belongs to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><strong>Super Smash Bros. HD<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Prologue<em>

* * *

><p><em>My name is Jacen Riders. But I go by Jace, because it's cooler. I'm a Nintendo gamer just like you.<em>

_But as a gamer, my experience was not like yours. Because it's more than just a crazy experience._

_See, my story began when four years ago, I stole a Nintendo 3DS from the Nintendo HQ office in Kyoto, Japan. But I had no idea the trouble I got myself into._

_Well, yes. I was arrested, but not for the theft of the device. That's another story. What really happened was that 3DS was magical._

_You don't believe me? Well, have you heard of the Royal Battle in New York? The one that involved a young man battling a giant gorilla who had kidnapped a girl? That young man was me. That girl was my cousin Jenn, and that gorilla, believe it or not, is not King Kong, but Giant Donkey Kong!_

_You believe me now? That was a result of me getting hold of a magical 3DS, which had the power to warp Nintendo characters to different planes of dimensions. And these Nintendo characters from the new Super Smash Bros. game have all ended up in New York City! Well, them and many others…_

_Now Mario and company, unfamiliar with Our World, chose me to be their Savior to free their world trapped in a dimensional curse by Nintendo villains, which was led by Medusa. Unfortunately for them (and me too, because the idea of saving the world was intriguing for a while) I wasn't the Savior. A guy named Simon, a Nintendo character who was Master Hand's son, his ultimate creation and my clone (yes, my clone!), was their Savior. But he became evil thanks to Master Hand being possessed._

_So together with me and the Smash Bros. we figured out the curse of the Nintendo World, freed it, and defeated the man behind Master Hand's possession: Tabuu himself!_

_But the adventure didn't end there. When Nintendo characters decided to host a real life Smash Bros. game in California, I ended up getting kidnapped by a dark cult named the UKnight. That's U with the Knight word next to it. The leader's name was Belgick and he was my girlfriend's uncle. He told me I was the Chosen, a being capable of both Dark and Light magic. And they wanted to use my body to bring back the Dark Emperor from the Find Mii game, who also happened to be Simon's most hated rival and Crazy Hand's ultimate creation._

_And since I looked like Simon, well… you get the idea._

_The Cult successfully brought back the Dark Emperor and Simon and my own body battled in a fight that was going to end both worlds! The inevitable was coming._

_…but that was all stopped, thanks to a Time Warp Spell casted by Palutena. The Spell sent all of us back, including myself, to safety. But it came at a price._

_Everyone had to forget all the adventures we've been going through. From when I stole the magical 3DS to that destined battle._

_But our love for Nintendo and video games lived on._

_So now that you've read that Time capsule letter, future me, hopefully you won't think of the person who gave it to you as a crazy person._

_But if you do, then there's one more thing you need to get._

**xXx**

**Next Episode: **_Premiere in HD_


	3. Ep1:: Premiere in HD

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Smash Bros. The series itself belongs to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><strong>Super Smash Bros. HD<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Premiere in HD<em>

* * *

><p>-<strong>Nintendo World-<strong>

**_Unknown Forest_**

_Mario started to think he should have gotten an escort. But then again, he woke up alone in this dark dense forest._

_Walls of pine, maple and oak trees towered before him, drowning the moon light into complete darkness. The hiking trail was even worse. The slope was steep, dotted of rocks and bumps; tangled bushes and vines grew taller with every step he took, yanking on his legs and trying to prevent his advance. Thorns and branches tore through his fancy formal and dug their vicious claws at his skin. Pain was sharp everywhere._

_The forest grew so dark it required a flashlight to move his way through. And Mario wished he had one. Heck, he wished he spotted a Fire Flower by now. Usually a forest this big is populated with Fire Flowers._

_Except if it's a haunted forest. _

_But in that case, it wasn't. The tree leaves were nowhere near dead._

_How did he even get here in the first place? He tried to recall the last thing he did before ending up here. One minute he was having dinner with his brother Luigi, his best friend Toad, and the beloved Princess Peach. Then the next minute, Bowser showed up._

_That might be it! He was on yet another quest to save Peach from Bowser. And Bowser must have sent him flying into this forest._

_But this forest was like nothing he's ever seen before. It was dark. Way too dark. He took a deep, yet shaky breath and pulled his hat off. He brushed through his hair and rummaged inside the hat. There might be a handy golden coin in. There! He pulled the coin. Its shimmering light barely glowed before him. It didn't even go past two feet from where he stood._

_A noise among the bushes was heard close by. He whipped around, blue eyes darting across the trees, trying to adjust to the darkness like a night cat. Just as he did he caught a flicker of motion._

_Then he heard a hiss._

_He directed his golden coin to the source and caught a moving carnivorous plant—a Piranha Plant!_

_No, this one was different._

_The plant lunged at Mario. Mario hopped back and the plant drove its head on the soft muddy ground. Mario didn't have time to think when a vine wrapped around his leg and swooped him off the ground. Mario let go of his coin and yelped in panic as more vines wrapped around his waist all the way up his neck._

_Mario struggled, but the vines tightened. He grunted in pain, feeling his throat closing by the vine. The plant was now inches to his face and he could see exactly what the plant looked like. This was no Piranha Plant. This vicious plant had a rock-shaped head, dripping saliva that shot out smoke whenever it hit the ground, sharp teeth, and a wiggling tongue it used to slurp across its enormous lips._

_The plant opened wide and went for Mario's head. Mario shut his eyes and braced himself._

_Then he heard a snap. Then a painful yelp that sounded like a dead puppy. Next thing he knew the vines let go off him and he dropped on the ground._

_He opened his eyes, rolled to sitting position and shuffled back, away from the beast… now missing its head. He glanced up a bit left off where the plant was and saw its head there, stuck on the ground._

_He heard footsteps behind him._

_He quickly jumped to his feet and pulled his arm back. Sparks danced at his fingertips and formed into a small ball of fire. The fire lit up most of the forest and he saw a shadow before him. The shadow was of a man in white undergarments and a green tunic and hat. The man had a bow pointing forward him, but no arrow._

_The man raised his arms in surrender. "I don't mean any harm."_

_Mario's fireball flamed out. At that moment, the man in green pulled from his belt a lantern. A fairy emerged from under his hat and circled around the lantern which instantly lit up. Soft light surrounded Mario and the man in green._

_Mario tried to catch his breath. "…obviously, you don't." _

_"I saw that Deku Baba was giving you trouble. So I had to help." The man in green said, waving his bow. He approached Mario, "It's dangerous to go alone." He pulled out from his back a boomerang and handed it to Mario. "Take this."_

_Mario took the bow and examined it. It was made of wood and was well firm and heavy. "Thank you. But uhh…" he caught a glimpse of the man's face. He had pointy ears, like that of an elf, "…who are you?"_

_The man in green chuckled, "Funny." He said, "Because I was about to ask you the same question."_

_Both Mario and the man in green stared into each other's eyes, like they're trying to remember each other from another time. Or maybe another life._

xxx

-**Our World-**

**_New York City, NY_**

NYPD squad cars swarmed into the Columbus Circle. Onlookers stopped to watch. Soon paramedics showed up, and finally TV news crew.

Officer Mowdalips, famous for his thick mustache thanks to the pun on his name: _Mow da lips_, shot out of his squad car and went to the building lobby where he found Jacob and Diego, his two partners.

"So what do we have?" He asked.

"24-year old kid broke into the Tower." Jacob said. He was blonde with sharp blue eyes, "Security claim he started working for one of the newest offices on the 32nd Floor? _The Gaming Planet_? Since yesterday."

"What was he doing there?" Mowdalips joked.

"We don't know but…" Jacob beckoned Mowdalips further down the lobby. The officer felt something ominously serious in the latest case.

Mowdalips caught a glimpse of two security guards, their bodies lying on the ground, lifeless.

"We know one thing: he's very dangerous." Diego, the Mexican with curly hair, said.

"Oh my…" Mowdalips quivered. "…what the hell did he do?"

Jacob looked at his mustached boss, "He did things. Strange things."

"Like?"

"Well," Diego said, "these security guards on duty could told you but…" He sighed, shaking his head, "…that's gonna be hard to explain."

"What about the janitor?" Jacob asked Diego. "He saw him twice yesterday, appearing in two places at once."

"What?" Mowdalips said.

"Yeah, like… he was some sort of wizard or something." Diego said. "Matter of fact, he's the one who made the 911 call."

"Where is that janitor now?" Mowdalips asked, but before the officers could respond, someone shouted, "Suspect has been spotted!"

The guard shouting was a security guard. He shot out of the lobby in a panic and went out the building.

Next thing the officers knew they heard an explosion near them. It exploded a wall before them. Then they heard something like a whistle. Mowdalips turned around to see a beam of light the shape of a sword zip past him and slashed half of his mustache off.

Everyone in the lobby went on guard. The officers ducked behind walls and fern plants with guns ready.

"Send in backup! Send in backup! We need the SWAT Team here, stat!" Diego shouted.

Jacob went to his boss and helped him up, "Boss! You're okay?"

Mowdalips stammered, "I…I'm fine." He reached to touch his face. His upper lip was suddenly smooth. He looked at Jacob who gave him a strange stare.

"What? Is my mustache okay?" He asked.

"Well sir." Jacob tried not to laugh, "All I can say is that your name finally achieved its purpose." He touched his rim between his nose and upper lip. Mowdalips got the message. His mustache was gone!

Another beam of light shot out of nowhere and split past Mowdalips and Jacob, forcing them to run and hide with the other officers and security guards.

"Where is the SWAT Team?" Mowdalips screamed out of fury and in an instant SWAT Team came rushing in with AK-47, sniper rifles and SWAT glass shields.

Mowdalips pulled out his bullhorn with one hand, gun aiming with the other, "This is the police!" he shouted, "Come out with your hands up NOW! I repeat, COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP NOW!"

It took a while but then the officers watched a shadow forming.

It was the suspect. He pushed past the two dead bodies as his face formed under the night sky.

Mowdalips gasped, lowering his weapon. He recognized that suspect. But his mind refused to believe he did those gruesome, terrible things.

"Lower your weapons!" He ordered and the SWAT Team lowered their weapons.

"What? What is it, officer?" asked Diego.

"I know this kid." Mowdalips whispered, studying the young man's face: Italian good looking, 5'6'', dark spiky hair, slanted green eyes, light-colored skin and average built. He had on a trenchcoat over a white vest, glowing shirt, boot cut jeans with the Smash symbol as a belt buckle and casual converses. He had a sword on hand and it was glowing.

The young man stepped forward, dropped his sword and raised his hands. He smirked. That angered Mowdalips.

"A little fledgling told me you were looking for me." the young man said. "By the way, what did you do to that cockroach that was crawling on your lips? Decided to kill it?"

The officers chortled. Mowdalips shot them a dark glare. They stopped. He turned to the young man.

"Jacen Riders!" he shouted, "Do you know the kind of trouble you got yourself into, young man?"

"Wait, you know this kid?" Jacob asked.

"…since he was a teenager." Mowdalips bit so hard on his lower lip, he made a cut. "Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker." He then shouted on his bullhorn, "You're under arrest!"

Instantly, two police officers cornered Jacen, grabbed his arms and pinned him on the ground while handcuffing him.

"And this time, you're going away for a loooong, long time." Mowdalips sneered.

xxx

**_2 Days Earlier…_**

Hunt, looking snazzy in his dark-blue blazer jacket over his green plaid shirt and corduroy blue pants, brushed his blond locks to the back. Another day to the farm meant another coif to be proud of.

He glanced outside the city of New York. He could feel the sky becoming grey already at 9AM. Winter was coming. No kidding, it was the holiday season after all. He was hoping for snow today, but the forecast yesterday predicted another light shower.

He left the bathroom to his one-bedroom and grabbed an umbrella. He then slipped on his converses and headed for the kitchen, which was across from the living room.

He entered the living room to see his roommate, and best friend Jace in front of the TV. He was already playing _Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. _Fun game, but seriously? Jace needed a hobby other than playing For Glory Mode all day in his white underwear and t-shirt…which was smelly from a distance.

"Good morning, Jace!" Hunt greeted.

Jace said nothing. Right now he was struggling with his main, Dr. Mario, against a Duck Hunt pro. Both challengers were over 400%! _Whoa…_

"Come on… Come on… Come on… Come on… Come on…" he grunted.

Couple more buttons mashing and analog sticks swiping, and Dr. Mario sent Duck Hunt flying off the TV screen. The word GAME splattered across it.

Jace leapt from the couch and pumped a fist, "YEA!" he yelped. "BEAT THAT, DOGGIE BREATH!"

"Good morning Jace." Hunt tried again.

Jace glanced over his shoulder, but barely looked at Hunt, "Oh, 'sup Hunt! I made you breakfast. Did you see my match? Whooo!"

"…yeah I saw it." Hunt scrunched his nose, "…and smelled it." He went to the kitchen and saw an appalling sight at the kitchen counter. "Wait, that's breakfast?"

Jace pressed a button and was back on the character select screen, "Yup."

Hunt stared at the dry pop-tart on the plate and next to it was a cup of brown water with gooey stuff under it. He grabbed a spoon and pulled it out from inside the cup. It was dripping from the spoon.

"That's not breakfast!" he complained, "Where's the egg Florentine and the bowl of cereal? What _is _this?"

"Dude, it's hot chocolate."

Hunt frowned. Jace paused, sensing Hunt staring at him. He turned to look at the dripping spoon.

"All right, technically, it's Hershey spread mixed in hot water. But it's hot chocolate to me." He explained.

Hunt dropped the spoon in the sink, "It's an _abomination_ to me!"

"Dude, I made breakfast! What more do you want from me?"

"To make breakfast."

"Pfft." Jace tossed a dismissive hand and went back to the TV screen. His next Smash match kicked off. Hunt sighed in defeat. Guess he's gonna have to buy Egg McMuffins again.

There was a knock at the door. Hunt wasn't expecting any visitors. And he guessed Jace wasn't expecting anyone either. He went to answer the door and right before him was a man in black attire, sunglasses and had an earbud attached to one ear.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"You Jacen Riders?" the man asked.

Hunt looked down and saw the man was wearing a utility belt. There was a holster with a gun on it, and handcuffs.

"Uhh… Jace? You got visitors!"

"Visitors?" Jace sounded annoyed, "Tell them I'm busy!"

"B-but Jace—!"

The man pushed Hunt out of the way and stepped into the apartment and headed to the living room. Jace dropped his controller and shot to his feet at the sight of the man.

"Jacen Riders?" the man dug a hand under his black jacket pulled out his badge holder. "I'm Agent Snark. I've been hired to find you."

Immediately two more men in black came into the apartment, armed just like he was.

"Dude, what did you do again?" Hunt cried out.

"N-nothing!" Jace said, stepping back, hands raised, "Look guys. Before you do anything to me, you have to know I'm—!"

He grabbed the bean bag chair and chucked it at Agent Snark, knocking the sunglasses off him. He shot out to the kitchen.

"GET 'IM!" screamed Agent Snark and his heavy boys went after Jace, who jumped over the kitchen counter, knocking Hunt's pop-tart plate.

But Hunt didn't care. He leapt on Agent Snark's back and dug two fingers on his nose while wrapping his arm around the agent's neck. The agent snarled in pain, struggling to breathe.

"Run, man!" Hunt shouted, "Run like you mean it!"

"My nose! I can't breathe!" the agent screamed.

Jace threw a kick at the Hershey water to one of the agent. The agent stepped back with a roar. The other agent jumped to grab his foot, but Jace dodged with a backflip and landed on the kitchen floor. He grabbed the nearby broom and brought it down on the other agent's head. The broom cracked in two and the agent dropped on the ground.

The other agent, blinded by the Hershey water, staggered toward him, growling. Jace swung the broom at him but he grabbed it with his two heavy _Wreck-it-Ralph_-like hands. Next thing you know, they were having a tug of war with the broom. The agent was winning. Jace was slipping on his cold naked feet dragging on the kitchen wooden floor.

Agent Snark roared, took a bite out of Hunt's arm. Hunt yowled and loosened his grip on the agent. The agent seized his chance. He plucked the petit geek from his back and tossed him right at his best friend.

Both Jace and Hunt hit the wall as Jace let go off the broom. The broom struck the agent in the nose and sent him sprawling right through the balcony double doors, shattering it into pieces. The agent hit his back on the railing and slumped like a defeated voodoo doll.

Both boys lay there on the kitchen floor, groaning in pain.

Agent Snark snarled, "BOTH of you are coming with me!" he grabbed Hunt by the vest and Jace by the white tee.

"W-wait! Where are you taking us?" Hunt yelped, "The one person you want is him, not me!"

"HEY!" Jace snarled.

"Hey yourself!" Hunt exclaimed, "You're the one who's getting us all in trouble!"

"I didn't even GET into any trouble this week!" Jace shouted, "All I did was buy some marijuana online last week!" he then added, "FOR A FRIEND!" when Hunt's eyes widened in utter shock. "And it's LEGAL!"

Agent Snark reached the elevator when he decided to carry both boys on his broad shoulders.

"Look man. Can I at least get something to wear?" Jace begged, "It's the holidays, it's New York, and it's bound to get cold!"

"You should've thought of that when we were getting police officers as visitors." Hunt snarled at his friend.

"Heeey…!" Jace grunted.

Agent Snark harrumphed. His two agent comrades approached him, "You, Agent Tad!" he asked the one who got knocked out by the Hershey water and the broom, "You got the stuff?"

Agent Tad pulled out from under his jacket a syringe full of green liquid, "Got the stuff." He said, wiping a piece of chocolate off his face with his sleeve.

"What kind of stuff are you giving us?" Hunt wailed.

Agent Tad stabbed the syringe right onto Jace's glute. "YAWWWOOOOWWW!" Jace yowled.

"Jace!" Hunt screamed.

Agent Tad tossed the empty syringe down a nearby garbage and went for his next one.

"This is bound to hurt a lot." Agent Snark sniffed, "We tried to be nice, but you boys left us no choice."

"What the hell did you give Jace?" Hunt shouted, noticing his best friend turning green, "What are you going to give me?" he struggled to break free but to no avail, "HELP! HELP!"

The second agent noticed an old lady passing by, being a witness to the abuse.

"NOTHING to see here!" he barked so loud to her face, she scampered out of sight like a frightened cat. Meanwhile Agent Tad was still patting his pockets for the second syringe.

"Err, Snark?" Tad muttered, "Looks like I lost the second stuff."

"You're kidding?" Snark groaned.

Tad shrugged, "Yeah, during the scuffle. Sorry."

The elevator opened and the agents stepped inside. They reached the lobby in a matter of seconds. Hunt saw Jace was losing consciousness. But at the same time he was smiling, looking all goofy. Like he really was on marijuana. Or cocaine. Or both.

"You're lucky kid that you won't have to taste the stuff like your friend did." Agent Snark said to Hunt as they left the building and were heading toward a snazzy limo and two police bikes sandwiching the limo.

"WHAT did you give my friend?" Hunt snarled.

"Just some sedation. It'll wear off after 24 hours."

"Look pal!" Hunt stammered, "I don't know what's going on, but your police brutality is going to be witnessed by many people in here! I not only know karate, I know lawsuit. And I will sue your ass for what you did to me and my friend!"

"Ohh…" Snark smiled, stuffing Hunt into the limo. "You're going to sue us?"

"Yeah! Right Jace?"

Agent Snark dropped the now groggy Jace inside the limo, pushing him next to his best friend. "My butt feels scratchy." He muttered, "But it sure feels gooooood."

Hunt scowled.

Agent Snark snorted, "I would hold on to that lawsuit if I were you."

"Where are you taking us?" Hunt demanded.

"You'll see." Agent Snark winked, "Like I said, we _tried_ to be nice."

And with that he closed the limo door.

Hunt noticed the interior of the limo. It was like a prom limo. There was a mini fridge, a cooler with cold crisp drinks like Apple Cider, from the sweet nonalcoholic ones to the hard stuffs. There was even macadamia nuts and toffee bars.

Hunt was confused. But his best friend Jace wasn't. _He_ was on Cloud 9.

xxx

-**Nintendo World-**

**_Deku Forest_**

_"So you're Mario huh?" Link smiled at his new acquaintance in the Deku Forest._

_Both he and Mario were besides a campfire, sitting on two wood trunks, having dinner. Link took a bit out of his cooked Cucco Brioche. "I always wanted to visit your kingdom and meet you. I heard you can jump pretty high."_

_Mario smiled through his mouth full of cuckoo brioche, "gee, thanks." He said._

_Link sighed, "…unlike me."_

_Mario stopped smiling, "What are you talking about? You're pretty great too! You have the spirit of the Hero of Time in you."_

_"Only according to an owl. No one else seems to think so."_

_Mario raised a hand, "I do." He said, "You saved me from that Piranha Plant back there."_

_Link chuckled lightly, "It's a Deku Baba."_

_"…oh, right." Mario reached for his Lon Lon Milk bottle and took a chug off it._

_Link leaned forward in thought, "…but I just don't understand something." He said, "If we're getting to know each other now, but we know each other's history, then how come it feels like to me like it's not the first time we've met? Have we done something together in the past?"_

_Mario shrugged, "…not that I recall. I have done many things in the past like playing tennis and racing karts." Mario paused, "Do you ride karts?"_

_"Aye, I only ride horses. I'm not familiar with karts." Link said, "I'd love to try one someday."_

_Mario nodded, before glancing around, "So, this is Hyrule." He said, "It's very different from the Mushroom Kingdom."_

_"What is it like there?"_

_"Well, it's—!"_

_Link didn't get the chance to listen when he saw a blazing comet coming at Mario, full-speed._

_"Watch out!" he leapt from his wood trunk and lunged at Mario. The shooting star crashed right at the campfire. Dirt and rocks spread and knocked out the flame. The star however was glowing bright white._

_Mario and Link rolled to sitting position, staring at the glowing intruding star._

_"Mamamia, what-a was that?" Mario asked._

_Link stood up, "Looks like a shooting star." He slowly approached it. The star suddenly trembled._

_Mario stood up, "Be careful." He warned. Link drew his sword out. The star rumbled, forcing the entire ground to shake. Then the star shot up, leaving trails of gold dusts behind. Link brought out his lantern and he and Mario approached a hole on the ground left by the star._

_They glanced down the hole and saw a large pink squishy ball in it. The ball wiggled. It was moving!_

_Mario and Link stepped back. The ball wiggled some more until it revealed a face: two eyeballs, light-rosy cheeks and a curious pucker for a mouth. It looked alien, harmless, and made a sound. _

_"Ohh?" it said._

_"What is that?" Mario gasped._

_"I don't know," Link said, "…but I suddenly feel the urge to cuddle it."_

_"Me too." Mario said._

_The pink puffball looked past Link and Mario and gasped. It jumped off the hole to reveal red large feet and pink squishy hands. It pointed up and flailed his hands in a panic, "Poyo! Poyo! Whao!" it screamed._

_"Uh, what?" Link cocked his head on one side._

_Mario turned around and screamed, "Link, watch out!"_

_Link turned around and watched a giant bird heading straight for them. The duo hugged and screamed. They ducked and the giant bird swooshed past their heads._

_Link and Mario looked at the giant bird making threatening sounds, circling above them._

_"What the Shell was-a that?" Mario screamed._

_"I dunno!" Link shouted, "But that does NOT look like Kaepora Gaebora!"_

_"Kapo Gabo who?"_

_"The owl who told me I'm supposed to be the Hero of Time!"_

_"Then be one right now!"_

_Link proceeded to grab his shield next to the sitting trunk and posed for combat. The pink puffball waddled toward Link and Mario and slipped right behind them, shaking._

_"Link and Mario!" the bird spoke, "Wasn't expecting you here."_

_"Huh? It talks too?" Link said, observing the bird. It had a turban on its head with a cape feather attached to it._

_"Why are-a you surprised?" Mario said, "Almost all animals talk in the Mushroom Kingdom. Don't they do so here in Hyrule too?"_

_Link ignored Mario, "Who are you and how do you know our names?" Link asked the bird._

_"I really don't have time for small talks, you two." The bird said, "I just need you to hand over Kirby to me."_

_Link frowned, "Kirby?"_

_Mario looked at the pink puffball who was shaking his head furiously and making terrified sounds._

_"I think that pink cute thing is Kirby." Mario said._

_"Yes." The bird said, "And it took something of high value from me. And I need it back."_

_"And what exactly did Kirby took from you?" Link asked._

_"Why do you care?" the bird said._

_"Because we won't-a let you hurt this cute cuddly gummy ball without giving a proper reason!" Mario said._

_Both Link and Kirby stared at Mario._

_"Not that we will actually let the bird hurt Kirby in any way." Mario corrected._

_The bird harrumphed, "Fine! He took a staff from me. A staff!"_

_"A staff?" Link said before looking at Kirby who was still shaking his head. He had no staff on hand._

_"He didn't take any staff." Link argued._

_"He ATE the staff!" The bird snarled, "Seriously, don't tell me you have forgotten about Kirby's ability to swallow much like you've forgotten about every—!"_

_The bird stopped._

_Mario pulled out his boomerang and Link put away his sword to draw his bow and arrows. "Why don't you finish that sentence? What have we forgotten?" Mario threatened. "What did you made us forget?"_

_"Were you responsible for what's happening to us?" Link said._

_"I said I don't have time for small talks!" the bird barked, "Just hand over Kirby NOW!" the bird dove for Mario and Link. Link pulled his arrow and released. Mario swung his boomerang. _

_The bird nimbly dodged both attacks, knocked past Mario and Link, and swooshed for Kirby. Kirby screamed as the bird took him in the air with its talons._

_"No!" they screamed. Link drew another arrow and released. This time it struck the turban, knocking it off the bird's head and hit a nearby tree. The startled bird let go off Kirby._

_Mario ran toward the falling pink puffball but then started to slow down, witnessing Kirby slowing down and getting fatter. The pink puffball took a large ball size and was floating down to the ground._

_The bird wheeled around, staring at Link and Mario. Terror and fury flashed his red eyes._

_"You won't get away with this, pests!" he snarled, wrapped his wings to itself and vanished in a puff of smokes. His turban vanished too._

_"Hey, you're okay?" Mario asked Kirby. "Pao!" Kirby smiled in reply. Link saw something glittering under the tree where the turban was pinned on. He approached it._

_"I have no idea what you're saying," Mario said to Pikachu, "but we're glad we could help."_

_Link arrived at the spot. The object he saw was a scroll. And it was glowing._

_"Hey guys! Look at this." Link called out his two new acquaintances. Mario and Kirby waltzed to see the glowing scroll._

_"What is that?" Mario asked._

_Link picked up the scroll and unrolled it. There were writings on it. Like the writing was penned by a silver pen because it glowed a silver shade._

_"Looks like ancient text." Link studied the writing. "It doesn't look Hylian, so I can't translate it."_

_"Why would that bird be carrying this scroll around?" Mario asked._

_"It was definitely looking to cause trouble, that's for sure." Link said. Kirby nodded in agreement._

_Link rolled the paper and tucked it under his shirt, "Come. We must head back to the village and speak with Master Elder there."_

_And the trio was on their way._

xxx

-**Our World**-

**_New York City, NY_**

Jace watched flows of traffic and crowd of skyscrapers rush past him behind the limousine window. Couple of times he kept dozing off, but his friend Hunt would nudge him awake.

That drug Agent Tad gave him really did a number on him. He felt a mixture of euphoria and drowsiness. One feeling fighting the other in a constant struggle to dominate his brain. He tried not to drool or snore too, not to embarrass his already self-conscious best friend.

"Heeey…?" Hunt let out a sharp stun gasp, "That's the Shops of Columbus Circle! We're going shopping?" he barked at the limo chauffeur.

Guess he was embarrassing himself all on his own.

"Yes, yes. You're all going shopping," Agent Snark said sarcastically. The limo slowed down next to the building lobby. Snark put the car in neutral then said, "Check under your seat, Mr. Riders. There is something you should see."

"Me?" Jace pointed at himself. Snark said nothing, but he could guess he nodded. He looked at Hunt who shrugged. He had no idea what was going on. He bent down and dug out a tiny gold shopping bag.

"Merry early Christmas, kid." Snark said just as Jace pulled out from the tiny bag a black titanium credit card with gold Edwardian font script carved on it that says _Times Warner Building - VIP_.

Jace's eyes widened.

"What's this?" Hunt asked before Jace could ask it himself.

"Mr. Riders' VIP Pass to the Times Warner Building." Snark said, "Courtesy of the Gaming Planet. Their office is on the 32nd Floor. You have an appointment with Mr. Santiago."

Jace's lower jaws dropped, "Wait… what?"

"A meeting with…?" Hunt couldn't find his words.

"The Rogue?" Jace finished for him. "As in, Alexei 'the Rogue' Santiago?" Editor-in-Chief of our favorite gaming magazine and entertainment website _the_ _Gaming Planet_?"

"The one and only." Snark said, "Now get out of here. The Rogue doesn't like waiting."

"But I'm not dressed yet." Jace protested.

The limo door swung open and in came the two agents: Tad and the other one his name was never mentioned.

"Tad." Snark said, "Take Jace to that place. Trash. Take Hunt to the _Gaming Planet_ lobby."

Jace swallowed.

"That place?" Hunt exclaimed, "THAT place? What's with the codename stuffs, dudes? What the hell is that place you're taking Jace?"

Jace leaned toward Hunt, "Hunt. Dude. Stop it. You're embarrassing me." He muttered.

"Oh, I'M embarrassing YOU? I'm not the one in a stranger's limo with nothing but his underwear on!" Hunt then pounced behind Snark, "I swear, Snarky, if you're taking my best friend to get tortured—!"

_"_We're taking your best friend to get pampered and spiffed. That place is _The Men's Wearhouse_."

Hunt's face flushed red, "Oh." He lay back on his seat, "…right."

Jace stared darkly at him, "Told you, you were embarrassing me." Jace exited the limo with Agent Tad.

If he thought Hunt was the least of his embarrassment, coming out of the limo and heading into the Time Warner lobby in front of millions of New Yorkers, with nothing but a pair of dirty underwear, a flimsy t-shirt, disheveled hair and a bit of drool from the drug he got injected in the tush—oh, and escorted by the same agent who drugged him—was the highlight of all embarrassing moments in his life.

The eyes were everywhere. Staring. Then he heard the whispers. Some were heard as laughter.

"Nothing to see here folks." Agent Tad growled at the crowd, "We have a fashion emergency."

Jace spotted a raven-haired girl in a red tight dress who stared in awe. He forced a smile and mouthed, "…yeah, what he said."

The girl brushed a lock of her hair over her ear and bashfully smiled.

The gang reached the Men's Wearhouse.

Meanwhile, Hunt was escorted by Trash to the 32nd Floor. The elevator doors slid open and Hunt was greeted by a glowing atmosphere. Gold ceiling and walls filled the floor. The walls by his side had some weird engraving. They were somewhat very similar to the lobby in the Empire State Building, only except the engraving had Pikmin faces in it. The tapestry was not gold but ruby with woven treads of gold.

"This way." Trash beckoned him to a glass door that said Gaming Planet in it, and behind the glass door he saw a young man with stylish black hair and a blue suit with bright yellow checkered shirt and matching cummerbund behind an ivory reception desk. The whole office was white, but there were some pillars that were glowing blue and red.

"Quite mesmerizing, wouldn't you say?" Trash said. For the first time, a tough agent smiled at the very sight of the place, "I could stay here for hours but I have stuffs to do." He then shrugged it off and took off, leaving Hunt with the male receptionist.

The young man glared at Hunt from across his thin glasses, "Can I help you?" he spoke with a flamboyant flair.

"W-well, I'm—!" Hunt tried to speak.

"Ha!" the man gasped, shot to his feet and shot out his hand for a shake, "You must be Jacen Riders."

Hunt took his hand for the shake. "It's a pleasure." The man said.

"N-no actually, Jace is at the _Mens'_ _Wearhouse_. He's getting something to wear." Hunt said, "I'm his best friend."

The young man placed a dramatic hand on his chest and faked a gasp, "What's wrong with the ones YOU'RE wearing? Can't he borrow them from you and wear them? He looks HAWT in anything."

"Have you met him?" asked Hunt.

"No." the young man said sarcastically, "But I've been told that he could pass for _People Magazine's_ Most Sexiest Man Alive. My name is Dijon by the way." He went for another hand shake and Hunt took it, "Nice to meet you, err…"

"Hunt." Hunt said, smiling. "Hunter Long." Looks like he's taking a liking on this guy.

The elevator doors slid open now.

"Oh!" Dijon gasped, "Well here's the man of the hour."

Hunt turned around to see Jace coming in. No longer in his underwear, he was wearing a black blazer jacket over a white hoodie with boot cut jeans and skate shoes. Hunt frowned on his look.

Jace shrugged, "what?"

"This is a place of business." Hunt said.

"Really?" Jace turned to face his reflection on the glowing blue pillar, "Because I look fantastic." He brushed his already combed spikes.

"Of course you do." Dijon said, leaving his desk to approach Jace, "you look like a million dollar. Don't listen to him. He's an embarrassment."

Hunt's jaws dropped. And he thought him and Dijon were gonna hit it off.

"You must be Dijon." Jace smiled, "the lady at the Men's Wearhouse sends her regards."

"Oh you mean Crème?" Dijon said, "That's no lady, that's my twin brother."

Jace's eyes widened in shock.

"He had surgery." Dijon explained. "Used to be called Craig."

"That explains the look."

"Follow me, my pretties." Dijon snapped his finger and beckoned as he walked further down the office. Hunt and Jace followed, crossing past many bureaus along the way and catching glimpse of video game posters like that of Dragon Age and Bayonetta, and life-size figures of Link and a Warcraft orc.

Then something caught Hunt's attention. It was a door that looked like a security vault, except that its surface shimmered with a curtain color of rainbow and platinum light. Hunt couldn't get his eyes off it. His fingers reached to touch its surface and the curtain moved like ripples of water.

He jumped back, "whoa…"

"What are you doing?" he heard a voice. He jumped back and saw a young woman with raven-colored hair, standing right in front of him. She had a purple blouse over a black dress, and matching high heels.

"Oh, sorry. I was just…!"

"This is a place of business." The girl snarled, "You're not supposed to be here. Let alone _touch_ this vault. It's forbidden!"

"Victoria."

Hunt heard Dijon speak, "You're speaking to Mr. Santiago's guest." He said. "This is Hunter Long."

The girl's angry face softened, "Oh. So you're our new employee at the _Gaming Planet_?"

"Not really. He's his friend." Dijon said before beckoning Hunt further down the hall. Hunt glanced at Victoria whose face turned angry again. Guess she was very overprotective of that vault. But what kind of vault was it?

Hunt reached the office of Alexei 'Rogue' Santiago. It was HUGE. It had top-to-bottom windows, decorated with snowflakes for the season of course, had a set of chesterfield surrounding a coffee table on one corner, with a white lit up Christmas tree with red and yellow ornaments; his office desk was filled with neatly arranged paperwork and a desktop computer in Sleep Mode, with golden garlands around it; and to the right was an abstract statue of onyx structure, shaped like a graceful woman with her arms spread up as if she was skating on a frozen lake.

"Whoa…" Hunt gasped again.

"I know right?" Jace said, "Apart from the Christmas decorations, his office is pretty tight! Nothing in this world can top that."

"Ohh, I beg to differ." Hunt muttered, his mind already thinking about that magic vault he saw earlier.

"Alexei will be with you in just a moment." Dijon said before taking his leave.

Hunt seized his chance. He pulled Jace up close and whispered. "Dude, you will NOT believe what I just saw on my way here."

"The glowing vault?" Jace guessed.

"You saw it too?" he asked ecstatically.

"Duh! What do you think that was? A portal to another dimension?"

"I think—!"

"…that it's just a vault." A voice interrupted Hunt. Jace and Hunt turned around to see Alexei 'Rogue' Santiago, coming in to the room. He had on dark-blue worn jeans with matching blazer over a black tee shirt and a gray hoodie, with two sets of silver dog tags around his neck.

"Sorry I'm eavesdropping on your conversation about that vault in our office." He spoke, "But that thing you mentioned has never been opened since we moved into this building. And we'd rather not discuss it in any way possible. That's our policy."

Hunt and Jace stared at the 5'11", shaggy-dark brown haired Spanish-French man who was closing in on them.

"I can't believe I am standing right in front of Alexei 'Rogue' Santiago!" Hunt squealed in his teensy voice, "So how should we call you? The Rogue? Alexei? The Rogue?"

"Anything you want." Alexei said with a smile, "By the way, how do you like your office?"

"…wait," Jace said, "This…" he looked around, "…this is my office?"

Alexei chuckled, "Well technically it's mine, but I'd like to share it with my new editor and friend."

Hunt's jaws dropped, "No…way."

"Living the life huh?" Jace asked.

Alexei grinned, "Well, living the rich editor life has its perks but… ahh, who am I kidding? It has ALL its perks! Anyway I'm not here to talk about my suite life." He beckoned the two friends to their seats on the couch, "I'm here to talk about you, Mr. Riders." He sat on the couch facing them. "Now why do you think the _Gaming Planet _wants to hire you?"

"Definitely not to crack the case of the mystery vault that's for sure." Jace joked and Alexei laughed along. Hunt cracked a nervous smile.

"That's good, but dream on." Alexei said, "We've hired you because we heard that you have inside information from Nintendo and its multiple games."

"Ohhh, it's because of my uncle being an engineer in the company." Jace asked and the Rogue nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry but," Jace started getting up, "I don't think I'm the right guy for-!"

"The card I left you on your limo." Alexei said, "It's both a credit card and VIP Access to the building's luxurious studio apartments."

Jace sat back down, "I'm in!"

"Sweet!" Alexei pumped a fist in the air, "oh, and your friend is hired too."

"Really?" Hunt beamed.

"...as your assistant."

Hunt stopped smiling.

"So! When do I start?" Jace asked.

"Right away." The Rogue said, standing up to head out, Jace and Hunt followed, "because I actually have an assignment for you. And it involves the Amiibos."

He escorted the duo out of the office. They talked assignments for a while until they reach the glowing vault again.

"Quick question, Rogue" Jace said, "You mentioned a policy not to discuss that vault. Does that include that we're not allowed to see what's _inside_ that vault too?"

"You can." Alexei said, "That is if you can break through that force field. All I know is that the last company that owned this complex was Nintendo Corp. Before they moved to Washington. And according to the building's architect, they built that vault."

Jace and Hunt looked at each other, their curiosity raised high.

"But hey, let's drop that mystery vault and pretend it never excited, huh?" and the Rogue walked away. Hunt was about to follow but then noticed Jace was not following. He was staring at the vault instead.

"Jace. Dude. It's not worth it." Hunt said.

"I think it is." He said before turning to face Hunt, "What do you actually think is inside that vault?"

"We've discussed it already!" Hunt said, "And you heard our boss. Let's forget it and let's go!" he grabbed Jace's arm and dragged him away from the vault.

xxx

-**Nintendo World-**

**_Hyrule Town_**

_"What a lively town this place is." Mario said, admiring the bustling populated castle town of Hyrule on that following bright morning. He was finally out of that ghastly woods, made friends with Link and Kirby, and was now entering Link's hometown._

_It was definitely nothing like back in the Mushroom Kingdom. Instead of Toads, he saw people, all with similar pointy ears as Link. But like the Toads, they were all peaceful, cheery, and sociable. He couldn't recall how many people greeted him when he entered the square, but he lost count after twelve._

_On one corner of the town he saw farmers tending cows and chicken—or as Link called them Cucoos. On the other corner he saw a market full of people shopping for fruits and veggies. Up ahead he saw little children playing and dogs and cats chasing after one another. _

_Further ahead he saw a castle. It was several buildings and turrets, all piercing through the blue clouds of day. Its walls were draped in a fresh shade of silver, each one of them bearing mint-colored flags with the marking of a bird and a triangular glyph right above it._

_"So we've never got to finish our conversation back in the forest Mario." Link said._

_Mario turned to Link, "Huh? Oh, you mean the Mushroom Kingdom?"_

_Link smiled, "What's it like there?"_

_"Just like this one." Mario smiled back, "Except the people there are Toads."_

_Link blinked, "Toads? Like green slimey frogs?"_

_"Oh, no!" Mario shook his head, "No, Toads are mushroom-faced characters there. They are super-friendly and very sociable."_

_"Ha."_

_"But they are very defenseless also." Mario said, "So everytime they're in trouble, I have to look after them."_

_"Really? A whole population of Toads?"_

_Mario sighed, "I have no choice. Bowser keeps me busy."_

_Link raised an eyebrow, "Bowser?"_

_"He's the King of the neighboring land called Koopa Land. He always comes to the castle town to terrorize the town and kidnap the kingdom's Princess and my best friend, Peach." Mario said, "As a matter of fact, I'm here in Hyrule to find her."_

_Link stopped walking, "But she's not in Hyrule." He looked lost, "Could she?"_

_Mario shrugged, "I don't know. I was wondering the same thing. Last thing I remember, I was in the castle with Peach, Toad, and my brother Luigi. And we were having a delicious dessert Peach made. Then Bowser showed up and next thing I knew, I ended up in that forest."_

_Link rubbed his chin, "Interesting development I might say."_

_"What's your story?" Mario asked, before looking around, "I mean, I don't mean to ask, but since you're doing okay…"_

_"Well," Link said, "My story is kinda complicated too. I woke up one morning from a nightmare. Zelda was kidnapped in it."_

_"Zelda?"_

_"She's the princess here in Hyrule." He then smiled, "And ironically, she's also my best friend."_

_"Wow."_

_"But long story short, this huge owl I told you about, Kaepora Gaebora, came to me in that dream and told me that I was chosen as the Hero of Time to help her." He shrugged, "He told me to look for the Great Deku Elder at the Deku Forest and that's what I was doing until I found you."_

_"Looks like we got sidetracked." Mario said before turning to Kirby, "Kirby, what's your story?"_

_The pink puffball was missing. Mario and Link looked around. "Kirby?" Link said._

_Kirby was heard, sounding ecstatic. They turned around and next thing they knew a powerful gust of suctioned wind took over the market. Fruits and vegetables were flying to one corner. Then Lon Lon Milk and cows followed. Then merchants were caught in the wind._

_Mario and Link tried to keep their balance but the wind was just too strong for them._

_"Where does that wind coming from?" Link shouted._

_Mario watched a sheep zip past him. He turned around to see where the wind was taking the sheep. And to his startling shock, the sheep was heading straight into Kirby's mouth. Heck, the entire marketplace was heading straight for Kirby's mouth!_

_"LINK! Look!" Mario pointed. Link turned around and saw Kirby inhaling the entire town._

_"Kirby, stop!" Link shouted, but Kirby wouldn't close his mouth._

_"Kirby that's en—! Urgh, dang it." Link pulled out a Gale Boomerang _

_"What are you doing?" Mario shouted, "You're not gonna harm him are you?"_

_"No! I'm just going to make him stop!" Link pulled his boomerang back and tossed it at Kirby. The boomerang disappeared into Kirby's mouth._

_"NO!" Link shouted._

_Kirby closed his mouth and in an instant, his body took a shimmering glow. Then the glow vanished and next thing Mario and Link saw in Kirby was a yellow hat with two wings on it. And his skin was no longer pink but yellow also._

_Kirby squealed in delight as he adjusted his new hat. The puffball then pulled back and a boomerang popped out of nowhere in his hand. He tossed the boomerang at Link, who didn't get the chance to catch it. The boomerang knocked his legs and he landed on his butt. The boomerang went back to Kirby who laughed._

_"…no…way." Mario gasped. Never had he seen something like this: a cute puffball who can swallow anything in his way, and can transform when he swallows a boomerang. So many crazy ideas came to his mind. What if he swallowed fire? Or a sword? What if he swallowed Bowser?_

_But then he heard angry commotion that interrupted his thoughts. He noticed the marketplace. It was a mess. Stands were toppled on their side. Remains of fruits and veggies trailed down the road. Merchants in torn clothes shouted all kind of inappropriate languages at the visiting trio._

_"Mamamia… S-sorry…" he said bashfully, "…y'know, for the… the mess!"_

_Link stood up and brushed the dirt off his tunic. He grinned nervously also and approached Kirby. Mario followed. "Come on, we've got to go meet the Master Elder before Kirby causes anymore disasters."_

_Link, Mario, and Kirby finally reached a church. There were tombstones in its front yard and that would've given Mario the creep if it wasn't for the morning daylight and the chirping blue birds dancing by the leafless autumn tree over the church's rooftop. Kirby was smiling this entire time, relishing this new world he was in that was different from his own._

_Link took the front steps and knocked on the door. After a brief silence, the door creaked open and a pair of eyes took a sneak peek from inside._

_"Master Elder?" Link asked, surprised by the discretion._

_The voice behind the eyes let out a relieved sigh, "Link. You're here."_

_The door closed. Then the trio heard couples of clanks and bangs on the door, and finally the door swung open._

_"Come inside. Quickly." The elder said. He carried a wooden staff, was short, bald, and had long beard. Link, Mario and Kirby entered the church._

_"And who are these fellows?" the elder asked meticulously._

_"These are my friends." Link said, "I've met them in the forest. Their names are…"_

_"Mario of the Mushroom Kingdom and Kirby of Dream Land?" the Elder said._

_Mario and Kirby looked at each other, startled._

_"Yeah, how did you know?" Link asked._

_"I'm the Master Elder. I see all." The Elder said, "And your presence here can only mean one thing. Disaster is coming."_

_"Disaster?" Mario asked. "Oh?" Kirby cocked his head on one side._

_"Tell me Link. Did a wise owl came to you in a dream?"_

_"Y-yes, Master Elder. He has!" Link replied._

_The elder sighed, "Then it really is beginning."_

_"What is?"_

_The elder hesitated, "The day the famous heroes of the Nintendo World will gather will also be the day the Order will rise, and princesses and sages will disappear. But then again, famous heroes of the Nintendo World have met before and I thought, well, it's normal right? But then news of princess Zelda's disappearance came so suddenly last couple of weeks and—!"_

_"Wait, ho-hold on. Princess Zelda is gone?" Link said._

_The Master Elder nodded. "Y-yes. I thought you were on your quest to find her and the other Sages. A request from King Hyrule before he passed away."_

_"King Hyrule passed away?"_

_The Master Elder looked at Mario, then at Kirby, then at Link. All three of them were giving him strange, confused stares. _

_"So the legends are true. You've lost your memories."_

_Silence filled the chamber._

_Master Elder sighed, "Well then, I guess I'm… gonna have to start from the beginning." He swallowed, "…before the Order arrives to take me away."_

_Master Elder escorted Link, Mario and Kirby to a secluded office in the church. They sat down. The Elder took a deep breath and started revealing everything._

_"Mario, Kirby, Link." He said, "You've all met before. A long time ago. But when you met, the disasters that have occurred did not. The princesses were with you. And the sages were safe. You've met in special events on several occasion. Are you familiar of the Super Smash Bros. games?"_

_Mario and Link were on the edge of their seats. "Wuh…yes!" Mario said, "It's the greatest event to ever take place in the Nintendo World!"_

_"We fight for the greatest prize ever: coins, fortune and a chance to battle the Lord of the Nintendo World, Master Hand!"_

_The sage nodded, noticing Mario and Link exchanging glances and smiles. "Yes." The elder said, "Good times they were. These were the times the prophecy never mentioned as a disaster because the princesses were with you and the elders were safe." He stared with eyes on the floor, "But now, it's changing."_

_"The princesses are gone?" Mario asked._

_"Peach, Zelda… almost all the heirs across the world I'm afraid." The Master Elder said, "…including the sage. And…"_

_"…and you're one of the Elders too." Link asked._

_"Which is why you looked all worried." Mario said, "Do not-a worry, Master Elder. We will protect you from uhh…" he hesitated._

_"The Order."_

_A puzzled Kirby puckered, "Boarder?"_

_"But I'm afraid that you won't be a match against their forces." He said, "You need to find the Chosen."_

_"The Chosen?" Link said._

_"Yes. The Chosen is a hero of interdimensions with the powers to create and to destroy. He's also the one who can wield a mythical item called the 3rd Dimensional Screen, an item that can create portals. He is not from this Nintendo World, but he's in another." _

_"Another person?" Mario said._

_"From outside the Nintendo World?" Link said._

_The Master Elder nodded. With a flick of his fingers, a letter in a bottle formed to his hands. "Here." He handed the letter in a bottle to Link, "Take this with you. It's a time capsule letter written by the Chosen _to_ the Chosen himself."_

_"A Time Capsule letter?" Mario said._

_"Yes. You won't believe it, but you three have met with the Chosen once upon a time."_

_Mario, Link and Kirby exchanged puzzled glances. _

_Now," Master Elder said, "You need to seek out an interdimensional Gate somewhere in this world and give this letter in the bottle to him." _

_"…but what if we don't know who the Chosen is? What if we don't know how he or she looks like?" Link argued._

_"You will." The Master Elder said, "In time. But whatever you do, do NOT let him get exposed to the Magiic hidden there."_

_"Magic?"_

_"Magiic. Written with two Is." The Elder corrected, "It's a powerful artifact that could spell disaster to our world, and the Chosen's. So please, be careful."_

_And with these words, the Master Elder vanished in a transparent fadeout._

_"W-wait Master Elder!" Link shouted, "We still have to talk about…"_

_The Elder was gone. Link looked at the Golden Page. The page that black bird had dropped earlier, and the one the Master Elder could've translated for them, but never got to it. He then looked at Mario, who looked back at him before turning to Kirby, who looked at both of them with curiosity. He could tell that none of them were expecting this sudden twist of fate._

xxx

-**Our World**-

**_New York City, NY  
>Gaming Planet office<em>**

Janitor Newman was about to do his usual Midnight Run: take out the trashes, sweep the floors, wipe the interior windows, and maybe sneak in a couple of Mont Blanc pens down his pocket from Mr. Santiago's office. Stuffs he expected to do every night.

But just as he was ready to pass that glowing vault, he heard a sound that made him jump.

It sounded like a hum. Then the hum intensified and that's when it happened. The glowing vault shot a powerful blinding light, overwhelming the entire office like a blazing sun.

The light vanished and the glowing vault was opened. Newman took a few steps toward it, expecting something creepy to come out of that vault with bated breath.

Finally he saw a young man, stepping out of the vault. He had on a black trenchcoat with a blue shirt over a white vest. And the man carried with him a letter in a bottle.

It took Newman a while to recognize the face of the man.

"You." He said, "You're that new kid they hired to the office. Jacen Riders."

The young man cocked his head on one side and narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"What are you doing in there? You're not supposed to be in there!" he pointed at the vault, "Company policy! Remember?"

The young man Jacen, furrowed his eyebrows, studying the janitor. Then he pulled out the cockiest smile he's ever seen. It was devilish. More so than his own when he's about to rob Mr. Santiago off his pens.

He approached Newman. The light from the janitor's flashlight beamed on the young man's shirt and it changed color! From a calm midnight-blue like the sky to a blazing-red like hellfire.

Now Newman was terrified!

"Buddy," his voice sounded like a ruffian, "if you were smart, you'd get out of my way."

Before the janitor could object, the young man grabbed his neck. Newman struggled to breathe just as the creepy Jacen lifted him off the floor. Then with one sweeping stroke of his arm, he tossed the janitor right through a wall. The janitor slumped into a coma with a final groan.

The young man slipped the letter in the bottle under his trenchcoat, adjusted his attire and walked out of the office as if nothing special happened.

**xXx**

**Next Episode: **_Magiic in HD_


	4. Ep2:: Magiic in HD

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Smash Bros. The series itself belongs to Nintendo.

**Author's Note**: Wishing you all a Merry Christmas! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Super Smash Bros. HD<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Magiic in HD<em>

* * *

><p><em>Everyone always has to find a way to get themselves into trouble. Serious trouble.<em>

_Take my best bud Jace for example. He was like me when I met him. Charismatic, polished, always doing right and staying OUT of trouble. _

_Until he ditched the glasses, put on the street look and got that cool attitude total player style._

_Show off._

_Now everywhere trouble goes, he follows it, like trouble has its own Twitter account or something. _

_He broke into the Army at age 10, seeking revenge against Al Qaeda for 9/11. At age 16 he threw a party at an abandoned police station where he smuggled alcohol and invited gang members; Age 18 he ran an illegal underground street race in Japan where the only rule was never go below 100MPH (inspired by F-Zero); then that same year stole a Nintendo 3DS from Nintendo Corporate._

_That last crime sounds like it's not hardcore at all, but it is because that 3DS ended up being magical. _

_But this next crime he committed…? I couldn't believe it myself._

_-Hunt_

xxx

_-**Nintendo World**-  
><strong>Master Fortress, Present Day<strong>_

The Darkness watched the young man with ominous desire, walking down the busy street of this other world called New York City. Sounded like New Pork City but with a Y instead of a P.

The young man entered one of the tallest buildings. But it was so crowded with people carrying shopping bags and wearing red hats it was ridiculous. It looked like they were going to have some sort of winter festival.

But the Darkness didn't care. All he cared about was targeting this man. He was the key. And he cannot be lost in that sea of busybodies.

He whispered an incantation and a bright light overwhelmed the darkness around him.

Seven koopalings have magically popped out before him.

Larry Koopa was first to wake up. He looked around. He was inside the Master Fortress. He hated the Master Fortress. It was like Hell for him.

"Huh? G-guys! W-wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" he screamed in panic at his brothers and sister.

All six Koopalings slowly woke up. But their eyes shot open at the sight of the darkness before them.

"W-where are we?" cried out Wendy.

"What do you think?" Iggy shouted. "We're in the worst place on Earth!"

"We're not even on Earth you dimwit!" Roy barked.

"Then where are we?" a confused, crybaby Lemmy muttered.

"You're with me now." Spoke a voice.

The koopalings all turned around and gasped at the terrifying sight standing before them.

"We're definitely in the Underworld." Muttered Ludwig.

"What do you want from us?" Roy said, "I'm too young to die!"

"I have an assignment for all of you. And it involves this Earth place you're talking about."

"Wh-what?" Wendy said.

"The link between Worlds has been breached. And the Chosen has been spotted. I want you to find him." The Darkness spoke, "But when you do, follow my exact orders. You…must…not…FAIL me."

xxx

_-**Our World**-_

The holiday season was in full swing. Hunt strutted down the NY streets to Columbus Circle the next day, dancing to the Glee version of Jingle Bells when he was greeted by all kinds of strange things that were not really Christmas-like but still magical.

He saw Nintendo characters… or characters similar to them, walking down New York City streets as well.

It was weird.

He saw a fashionable lady in a white gown walking past him with clacking heels and behind her were a small group of Winged Pikmins struggling to carry a large wrapped up Christmas gift.

"Come on my pretties. Those gifts won't carry themselves to Grandma." She said.

He turned to his left and saw a construction site in full swing but the workers were different. Two workers picked up together a metal support bar for a ceiling: one human and one a Machoke. The Machoke spun around without warning and the metal bar twirled with him at a 180 degree, knocking out cold his human partner in the head. All the workers ran to that worker's aid.

He looked straight ahead and saw three little kids circling around their dad carrying holiday bags, trying to tell them to calm down. But there was a fourth kid: a Waddle Dee! The Waddle Dee hopped on Dad's back and the kids grabbed his ankle. They were laughing and the dad finally gave up trying to calm them down and laughed along.

But when Hunt looked around, he saw business as usual. No one on sight paid attention to these strange events. They saw the flying Pikmins or the Machoke worker and the playful Waddle Dee but not directly.

_What was going on?_

He entered the Times Warner building and saw his best friend Jace in the lobby at a Starbucks.

"Jace!" He called out to him. Jace turned to face him. His eyes widened in shock like he wasn't expecting him here, "You." He said out loud.

"Uhh, hey yourself. Hey, have you noticed any strange things around the city lately?" He suddenly stepped back, noticing Jace's outfit: a black trenchcoat over a red shirt and white vest…

No, wait… now the shirt was flashing blue. The shirt was glowing red _and_ blue!

"…and by strange, I mean _really _strange. What are you wearing?" he asked.

"Pretty slick, right?" a barista girl pointed out, "I was just complimenting his shirt."

Jace looked at his outfit then glanced at both the barista girl and Hunt, "Right. Thanks. And like I told this fine lady" He stepped out of the shadow and his shirt flashed red, "Palutena made it for protection."

"Is she your girlfriend?" the girl asked.

Jace frowned, "Ew, no."

"Mom?"

"NO!"

Hunt stared as if he didn't hear Jace right. He thought he said Palutena made this shirt for him.

"Palutena? As in the Skyworld goddess from _Kid Icarus_?" He then burst out laughing, "Dude, seriously, come on. How did you make that shirt?"

"I told you! Palutena made it. For protection." Jace then sighed, "Look, I'm not really in the mood to talk."

He stepped away from the Starbucks and started walking toward the elevator. "This is major emergency and we don't have the time and energy to have tea. Magic is coming back into the world and portals have been breached. And if that's not the least of our problem, that damn Wingo and the Master Order are after the Chosen, the artifact, and… well, I don't have to explain myself to you, because you know who and where the Chosen is since you're pretty tight with him and I need your help finding him."

Hunt stopped listening after Jace mentioned magic and portal in one sentence. And sounded very dramatic when he said it. Either he was prepping for a Christmas prank or he was a really good liar.

But that shirt though. It was catching a lot of eyes around. Businessmen and employees were staring as the duo entered the elevator with them. First time they saw Jace he was half naked in his underwear. Now he was spiffy.

"By the way," Jace said, "I'm not in the best of mood. So if anyone stands in our way, I'll take care of them. Hard." He then rolled his eyes, "and could you tell your people it's rude to stare?"

Hunt chortled. He pressed the button to the 32nd Floor, where the Gaming Planet main office was located. He also pressed the close elevator button and the door closed. If he hadn't pressed that button in time, he would've gotten a much bigger surprise.

...

"Hey, wait! Stop the elevator!"

Jace pressed his heels to a full stop right in front of the elevator closing. He went for the button and pressed it but too late. The elevator closed and didn't open again.

"Dang it!" He cursed. He couldn't believe he'd overslept. On his first day of work! Well, technically, it was his _second_ day of work for the Gaming Planet as Editor Assistant for the Editor-in-Chief the Rogue. His mind raced on how he was going to get from Floor 1 to Floor 32 in less than 10 minutes. Impossible.

Another elevator going up opened before him. "Finally." He breathed a sigh of relief and went inside. More people went in also. Those who missed their elevator noticed him and stared at him like he had changed clothes or something. He was in his favorite street look: gray plaid shirt, a white hoodie with a dark green coat, baggies and high tops.

He noticed everyone in their business attires and smirked, "…yeah, I don't do business clothing. Too serious for my taste."

He pressed his destination button and huffed. If he wasn't that stressed, he would have noticed a LOT of strange things around him. Like a Red and Yellow Pikmin popping out of a business woman's purse.

xxx

"Guys, you won't believe what happened last night," spoke Dijon as Jace and Hunt entered the Gaming Planet office. Jace's shirt had flashed blue again and had remained that way.

Dijon rubbed his eyes and blinked. "What are you wearing?"

"Save it Dijon. It's not worth it. Anyway, what happened?" Hunt then gasped, "You saw the Pikmin, the Machokes and the Waddle Dees too?"

Dijon stared at Hunt like he was nuts, "Yeah… right, and I saw Kratos and Sonic having breakfast together. No. I'm talking about…" he then whispered, "…the Vault. It's not there anymore."

"What do you mean it's not there anymore?" Hunt asked.

"He means," Victoria said, joining the conversation, "it's gone. Zip. Zilch. It's now just a big wall. Get over that!"

"Wait Victoria, we have to tell them. There's more to the story." Dijon said.

"Oh you mean the story with the crazy janitor who saw someone come out of that vault last night and then the next morning it disappeared? And here's a twist to it: he claims that this certain someone is," she pointed at Jace, "you."

Jace raised his eyebrows.

"Wait... him?" Hunt pointed at his best friend then turned to him. He didn't look at all surprised.

"I know right? Coo-coo." Dijon twirled his fingers over his head, "and now the Rogue is in on the drama too!"

"What do you mean?" Hunt asked. Dijon and Victoria pointed them to the scene of the crime. Hunt hurried there and Jace followed.

"Perhaps I've been a little too harsh to this man." Jace said.

Hunt turned to Jace, wide-eyed, "Too harsh?" he pulled Jace asides, "what do you mean too harsh? And what are you talking about, man?"

Jace shrugged, "I'm talking about the portal. I'm talking about the wild magic going rampant here in your world that needs to be tamed before it's too late, and for the last time I'm not-!"

He stopped talking. He was looking into Hunt's eyes like he had something strange inside it. Then he no longer got tense, "…wait a minute."

"What?" Hunt said.

Jace chuckled, "You don't remember do you?"

"Remember what?"

"I'm telling you officer! There is a vault in here!"

Hunt and Jace heard Alexei. He was with a security guard and a police officer. They approached the commotion.

Alexei turned to the gang and went to them, "Guys! Tell them we're not crazy!"

"Okay, you're not crazy. You're insane" Jace said bluntly.

Alexei scolded. "Thanks."

"What's going on?" Hunt asked.

"Do you kids see a vault before you?" The officer spoke, "An open vault to, which Mr. Santiago claims, possesses a swirly vortex of rainbow and light inside?"

Hunt looked at Alexei who furiously nodded as if trying to prove a point. He then looked at Jace who didn't look phased at all. He then faced the vault. It was there. And it was opened with exactly what the Rogue described: a veil of platinum-coated rainbow colors, swaying and dancing as if it was the inside of a slide or a worm.

"Do you see what I see?" Alexei asked again.

Hunt stared back, wide-eyed. "I see exactly what you mean, Mr. Santiago. A vortex inside a vault."

The security guard chortled, shaking his head. He and the police officer exchanged a look, as the officer rolled his eyes.

"What?" Alexei said bluntly, "I believe my employee and he speaks the truth!" He then turned to Jace, "you see it too right?"

"Exactly what you just described." Jace said, "it's Nintendo Magiic. It's loose, free, wild, and ready to be claimed. Which is why this is a state of emergen-!"

"KID!" The officer snapped. He was now angry, "This is police matter, not some video game fantasy! Either you tell us why we're staring at an empty wall OR we're gonna have to arrest you all three for obstruction of justice!"

That made Hunt's heart jump.

"That's not really an obstruction of justice claim sir." The security guard corrected, "That's more of a false police report they are trying to file."

The officer turned to the guard with a dark glare. "Who died and made you commissioner?" The officer snarled. Hunt could see his bushy mustache shake at the sound of his growling. "I, Officer Mowdalips, am in charge of this investigation."

Hunt couldn't stop shaking in his feet. And when Hunt went on full panic mode, he also went on full parental mode.

He grabbed Jace by the arm and pulled him away from the investigation, "Ow!" Jace yelped.

"All right, the jig is up, Takahashi!" He hissed, "We need to talk. Now!" He dragged Jace away to the restroom. The other workers in the office watched them leave, including the Rogue who turned to the officer and security guard and forced a nervous grin.

"Can we just...start over? Starting with one of my janitors?"

"He's deranged." Officer Mowdalips said.

"But he's a star witness."

...

The real Jace entered the _Gaming Planet_ office. Dijon did a double-take, eyes widened. Victoria walked toward him, mouth gaped.

"Hey guys. So sorry I'm late." He pulled his duffel bag off his shoulder.

"Didn't you just…" Dijon couldn't find his words.

Jace was out of breath, "W-What?"

"When did you change your outfit?" Victoria asked.

"At home." He said, "Sorry but I can't breathe in business tights. I'm sure the Rogue understands since he's into casual himself…!"

"No, when did you… I mean, how did you change so fast?" Victoria said, "You were in a trenchcoat and a blue… or red shirt just now. Now you're in grey!"

"Huh?" Jace turned to Dijon who still stared like a statue. Dijon nodded without a word.

"Okay you guys are crazy. I…" he went for the office but then noticed the commotion down the hall next to the forbidden vault with a police officer and security guard. He got nervous, "…what's going on?"

"Oh, like you don't know already!" Dijon barked, "I'm not saying it again."

"Remember that Vault? Well, it's gone." Victoria said.

"Didn't you not hear me say 'NOT saying it again'?" Dijon barked at her.

"I thought you said 'YOU were not going to say it again.'" She snapped back.

"The Vault? Gone?" Jace said, taking notice of the forbidden vault, "it's not gone. It's right there." His eyes widened, "and it's opened." He turned back to the duo, "Someone managed to open it?"

"Yes!" said Dijon, giving Jace a dark stare. "You!"

Jace's eyes widened in shock. "...wait, what?"

"Oh don't act like you're innocent in all of this." Dijon barked, "Like you didn't do some kind of voodoo trick on us. Talking about magic being loose and free and everything! Yeah we heard you!"

Jace stared, gaped, "That's... because I didn't..." He was too stunned to find his words.

"And now," Dijon went on, "the Rogue might get arrested for lying to the police! And so is the janitor! The one who saw you come out of that vault!"

Jace didn't know what to say. But his mind was screaming, "are you all hyped up on something? Like sugar? Or worse?"

Victoria crossed her arms, enjoying this. "Wow." She snorted, "for someone who doesn't wanna say anything, you sure do say a lot."

Dijon now stared at her darkly.

"Where is Hunt?" Jace asked, the one thing he could ask for right now was his best friend, as he was trying to process this nutjob accusation.

"NOT saying it again!" Dijon barked.

"Uhh, where you dragged him just now? The Restroom?" Victoria said.

"Augh!" Dijon screamed in anger. Jace ran for the restroom.

**xxx**

Hunt and Jace entered the restroom. Hunt pushed Jace in front of him. "Ow!" he snarled.

"All right, joke's over, Jace!" Hunt shouted, "what the hell are you doing?"

Jace harrumphed. "For the last time, I... am not-!"

"I don't appreciate this prank you're pulling!" Hunt cut him off, "if you think it was funny while it lasted, it wasn't. Heck it was never funny to BEGIN with! Seriously? You had to bring the police HERE?"

Jace bit his lower lip, "I... didn't bring these people here if you wanna know."

Hunt chuckled, "oh-HOH! Right. Then Mr. Santiago hired them right? All right then. Call it off. Prank's over. Haha! You win!"

Jace was about to say something but then froze up for a moment.

"What?" Hunt asked.

"Someone's coming." Jace replied, before pulling out a Moon Pearl from the _Legend of Zelda Four Swords Adventure _under his trenchcoat. Hunt's eyes widened at the sight of it. It shimmered like a crystal in a blanket of night star.

"DON'T move a muscle." Jace said, "We'll talk again as soon as they leave."

He then tossed the Moon Pearl into the ceiling which swallowed it whole and a black violet hole formed. He jumped into the hole and both he and the hole vanished.

Of all the strange things that has happened so far today, THIS one was MVP: Most-Valuable-'_Punch-Me-I'm-Dreaming!'_

And then he heard Jace's voice again. This time entering the restroom.

"Hunt! Hunt, you're in here?" he asked.

Hunt tried to speak but he couldn't. He saw Jace again! Same face but different outfit!

"Ohh thank god you're here." He said, "Dude listen. Something CRAAAZY is happening right now."

Hunt slowly glanced up the ceiling. He saw Jace's shadow—no, his doppleganger's shadow—moving like a cat on a prowl.

"Really? Tell me more!" He squeaked, staring at both the shadow and his _real_ best friend.

"Well, someone has opened the office's forbidden vault, and apparently I'm been framed for it! Is this a Christmas prank?"

"Well," Hunt squeaked again, "...not exactly."

Jace waited with bated breath.

"There's something you should know." Hunt looked at the shadow of Faux-Jace again. This time it was moving to face his doppleganger right below him.

"What? What is it?"

In an instant, the portal opened and the shadow formed back into Faux-Jace in trenchcoat, plunging toward real Jace.

"Watch out!" Hunt screamed but too late. Trenchcoat fake Jace pinned the real one on the ground and they rolled around, punching and kicking.

Hunt jumped in and pulled his best friend off his doppelganger. He threw his arms out sideways, stopping the fake one's advances, "Stop!" he shouted, "Please! Leave my friend alone!"

The faux-Jace adjusted his trenchcoat. Real Jace couldn't stop staring at his double standing before him.

"Sorry buddy, but I can't leave you alone." He said, "Because you're just the guy I was looking for."

"Wait…" Hunt rapidly blinked his eyes, "you were looking for him?"

The doppelganger gave him an obvious look. Hunt scoffed.

"Of course you were looking for him." He chuckled nervously, "I mean, you are his clone for crying out loud. Or maybe you're his twin brother." He turned to Jace, "You didn't tell me you had a clone or a twin brother!"

"That's because I don't!" Jace said.

"Let's just get straight to the point." The doppelganger said.

"Yes, let's!" Jace abruptly said. "Like who are you, why were you attacking me, and WHY do you LOOK like me?"

"Well, I thought you were an enemy, but you're not. So…" the doppelganger shrugged, "…being in the Dark World kinda makes your vision on the other side fuzzy."

Jace and Hunt just stared at the double.

"All right fine, I'll start." He said sarcastically, "I'm Simon. We know each other. We fought together and we fought against one another. But one thing for sure, you know me as the White Knight, protector of the Nintendo World. And that vault you guys havhaven going on about is a gateway to it. The only gateway I know so far, unleashed by the mythical power of Magiic. That's magic with two i's."

Jace and Hunt just stared.

"WOW! That Time Warp Spell Palutena casted on you guys really did a toll on you." Simon then muttered, "Can't believe I had to repeat myself."

"Are you my stunt double?" Jace said.

"Excuse me?"

"Is this a prank video the Rogue is trying to pull?" Jace faced Hunt, "I heard Rogue is really good at pulling pranks online. Remember that one video with the guy and the girl and the awkward date?"

Hunt was silent for a moment before he broke into laughter, "Oh yeah! Haha! It got millions of hits on _YouTube_! AHEM!" he stopped laughing, turned to Jace and smacked him in his head.

"OW!" Jace yelped.

"Dude! Wake up! This ain't a prank!" Hunt shouted, "You heard him say he came from that vault that is a… it's a what-now? A gate to the Nintendo World?"

Simon nodded. Hunt shook his head in disbelief. How to explain this to the police now waiting outside?

Jace approached Simon and grabbed his cheeks, "So they have doubles there?"

Simon pushed Jace back and took two steps back, "Ow! Watch it! Ugh… fine. I'll do what the Mayor of New Leaf Town told me." He put his hand into his trenchcoat pocket, "I can't believe I'm gonna heed that jokester's advice now."

"Mayor of Leaf Town?" Jace said.

"You mean the Villager from _Animal Crossing New Leaf_?" Hunt said.

"That's what you call him? Villager?" Simon shook his head in disbelief then pulled out from under his trenchcoat the letter in the bottle, "Here. It's for you." He handed it to Jace, "I was supposed to deliver this to you."

Jace and Hunt stared at the bottle and the letter inside. They didn't look like regular bottle and paper. They looked animated. Beautifully crafted and designed to be in an Award-winning HD game. Jace reached for the bottle, popped the cork off and pulled the letter out.

"It's a Time Capsule letter you wrote to your future self, back when you knew about all of what I'm explaining to you." Simon said, "In case your future self refuses to believe me, which is now."

"_My name is Jacen Riders. But I go by Jace, because it's cooler. I'm a Nintendo gamer just like you._" Jace read then looked at Simon, "Duh! Everybody knows that. What does that have to do with our minds blowing up right now?"

"Keep reading." Simon said.

After a minute and a half of reading, Jace and Hunt looked at each other. They then looked at Simon.

Jace ripped the letter apart to Simon's shock, "Fake." He said, "This is definitely fake."

"What? Are you kidding me right now?" Simon shouted.

"No I'm not!" Jace rolled the torn pieces into a ball and dunked it on the trash can across the restroom, "This is definitely a prank. I would never write this!"

"That was your handwriting!"

"Maybe you used my hand to write this while I was sleeping! No wait scratch that. You used your own hand since you're my clone." he then turned to Hunt, "Right Hunt? Back me up on this."

"Y-yeah… but…"

Jace gave him a scowl.

"But dude that's your handwriting!" Hunt exclaimed, "Maybe all of what was said in the letter really happened. I mean why would you have a doppelganger who has your face made of real skin and not prop?"

"Smart friend you got there." Simon said.

"Okay, he's talking crazy." Jace objected, "I mean, a magical 3DS? Really? Tabuu possessing Master Hand? Me saving my cousin Jenn from a giant Donkey Kong? And yes, I've been to many Smash Bros. tournaments, but I had NEVER been in one where the gamers were in the actual Nintendo World in team battles with their favorite characters. Video game characters DO NOT EXIST!"

Simon was about to object but then stopped, catching something behind Jace.

"Well then if you strongly believe that, how do you explain THIS?"

Jace turned around to see something that made his jaws dropped. Hunt turned around also. They were staring at a swirly violet vortex on a wall. Next thing he knew three geometrical shaped light shot out of the vortex and struck Hunt in the heart.

Hunt gasped, dropped on one knee, clutching his chest in pain.

"Hunt!" Jace went to his best friend and grabbed him before he could hit the floor. His body was cold. It was changing. No... It was transforming into cement!

"HUNT!" He shouted.

The cement hardened Hunt's feet then went up to his torso then over his chest and finally reached his face. Hunt struggled to breathe until he no longer could move his face.

"What's going on?" Jace shouted to Simon, "What's happening to him?"

"Someone turned him into a...!"

Before Simon could finish, the cemented body of Hunt took a shimmering glow. The bright light blinded the restroom for a split second then subsided to reveal Hunt, now in the shape of a figurine in Jace's hands.

"...an Amiibo." Simon said.

Jace couldn't believe his ears, "What?"

Then he heard evil laughter coming from the vortex. At that moment he saw characters coming out of the vortex one by one, till they were seven of them. The seven Koopalings: Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig! And they were equipped with magic wands. It was Super Mario Bros. 3 all over again.

"I gotta get used to this," said Larry Koopa, admiring his rod like it was a toy.

"What the…?" Jace gasped, staring at the uninvited guests standing in front of him.

"Koopalings." Simon growled, stepped in front of Jace and approached the Koopalings. "Why I oughta-!"

"Stop right there, pretty boy!" Iggy raised his wand. Simon froze. "I have a wand and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Yeah!" Wendy shouted, before turning to Iggy, "but if you do use it, can you not aim at his face? I want his head to go with my boy toy frame."

"What do you want, beasties?" Simon said to the Koopalings.

"We want nothing from you, Simon!" Wendy said before turning to Jace, "but your twin here. We want something of high value from him."

Jace stared at Wendy like he hadn't heard her first. "What do you want?"

Wendy nodded, "Why, the one thing we need from you of course."

"Whatever you do, do NOT tell them the location of the 3rd Dimensional Screen." Simon said.

Jace looked at Simon. The 3rd Dimensional Screen? He thought. It was mentioned in the time capsule letter he wrote to himself. It was an object able to control the dimensions and the portals. Aka the Nintendo 3DS, and the only one of its kind being magical, created in the Nintendo World, and being kept secured at Nintendo Corp.

"Can someone shut this kid's mouth? He's annoying!" Lemmy whined.

Iggy swirled his wand and shot another blast of geometric-shaped light. Simon didn't have time to dodge out of the way when the light struck his chest.

Jace observed his double in shock. But he didn't change like Hunt did. He just stood there frozen in time where he was.

"We don't care about the screen," Ludwig said as the Koopalings now circled around Jace, "we care about what actually matters."

"And what's that?" Jace asked.

"The Magiic." Lemmy sounded dramatic while saying that.

"Wait... Magiic?" He said.

"Yeah! Magiic with two i's!" said Morton.

"We've been told it's somewhere in this building. And you know of its exact location." Iggy pulled out of nowhere an empty treasure box, "bring it to us in this box, and you'll get your BFF back."

The box hovered before Jace. He took it, stared at it, then turned to the Koopalings.

They have jumped back into the portal, leaving their laughter trail behind.

"And don't waste our time!" squealed Wendy, "I hate having my time wasted!"

"Says the girl who spends three or more hours doing her hair BEFORE coming for supper!" shouted Ludwig.

"Hey, somebody gotta look good for the meal!" Wendy exclaimed. The portal shrunk until it closed.

Jace heard a whoosh and he turned to face Simon. He was unfrozen.

A man entered the restroom and stopped at the sight of both twins.

"Don't mind us. We're just twins." Jace tried to explain.

Simon threw a dismissive hand, "Ahh, who cares what you think? Move it!" he pushed past the man and stormed out of the restroom. Jace followed, giving the man a nervous grin. Everything from that point on was just becoming awkward.

xxx

"Dude, tell me what you know about the Magiic." Jace asked. "And I mean everything."

Simon was about to replied but then stopped. They were now face to face with the entire office staff of the Gaming Planet, gaping at the sight of two Jaces before them.

Jace grinned nervously, "he's just my twin brother. He's visiting."

Everyone went back to their businesses like nothing ever happened. Crisis averted on this one.

Simon rolled his eyes.

Jace went to Dijon. Simon followed. Dijon couldn't stop staring at both doubles before him.

"Hey where's Rogue?" Jace asked.

"Out for lunch." Dijon then frowned in thought, "Or trying to clear his head." He shrugged, "He didn't made that clear." He grinned at Simon, "so you had us all fooled huh? Make us think you were some double from another world and using that vault? Nice work!"

"Still doesn't explain the sudden disappearance of our vault, does it?" Simon said.

Dijon was about to object but then froze in thought of it once more. Simon and Jace left him, and the office, heading for the elevators.

"You said you wanted info on the Magiic right?" Simon said, "well one thing I can tell you about it is that it has an odd appearance."

"How odd?"

The strange twins passed by an office and caught sight of a Wii U poster. Simon stopped at the sight of the Wii U GamePad.

"That's it!" He tapped it, "right there! That's the Magiic!"

Jace blinked, "wait... the Wii U? Oh you mean the Wii U GamePad?"

"Is that what you people from this world call it?"

"We call the controller the GamePad. The device itself is the Wii U. Which one do you mean is the Magiic?"

"The one with the screen." Simon said, "you have it in this building?"

Jace shrugged, "I don't know."

"I'm asking." Simon said bluntly.

Jace sighed in frustration. "Look. You just showed up out of the blue telling me about some Wii U GamePad being the source of Nintendo Magiic, and my best friend is been held for the same ransom of Nintendo Magiic. And you expect me to know where that Nintendo Magiic is?"

Both boys stopped right in front of the opened security vault on cue. Its rainbow and platinum vortex caught their eyes.

"Maybe it's in there." Jace pointed at the portal.

"Only one way to find out." Simon proposed.

The boys took a step together into the portal. A bright light shot temporal blindness through their eyes and then everything went black.

It took Jace a moment for his eyes to adjust until he realized that he was inside an empty chamber in the middle of the night.

He looked around. No Simon in sight.

"Simon?" He called out, his voice echoed, "Yo! Where are you?"

He glanced around the room until he caught a glimpse of light by the corner. He turned to it and approached. As he moved closer to the light he began to wonder and figure out what he was seeing. The source looked like a museum artifact case. And to his sheer amazement, inside the case was a Wii U GamePad.

But that GamePad looked different. Its coating wasn't white or black like all other GamePads. This one was a rainbow-mix with platinum. And it was glowing: the actual source of the light.

"Whoa..." Jace breathed. His fingers slowly reached up to touch the case. He gently lifted the case off the artifact, set it down, and held his breath. What would happen if he ever touched that thing? He wondered.

With heart pounding and palms sweating, he couldn't contain the excitement and didn't wanted to wonder anymore. He had to try it. He must grab it.

His hands stretched out to the GamePad. Or the Magiic. His fingers were inches to its coating.

And then another hand grabbed it! It was Simon.

"Wuh-? Dude!" Jace shouted. "I looked everywhere for-!"

"What are you doing?" Simon asked, holding on tight to the Magiic.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm claiming the ransom to get Hunt back!" Then he pulled up a grin, "Well, technically I'm not going to actually GIVE it to them. I'm just going to give them an actual GamePad. And keep this Magic GamePad away from villains if you know what I mean."

"Ahh, a man with a plan huh?" Simon smirked, "I remember you pulling this kind of trick on Bowser with the 3rd Dimensional Screen."

Jace laughed, "Really? Man, I wish I remembered that!"

Simon pulled out the creepiest smirk, "Don't worry. You will in time. But right now, the Magiic is mine."

Simon snapped his fingers and his shadow grew into an ominous beast. The creature behind Simon looked very much like the Dark Emperor from _Find Mii_.

Jace's jaws dropped. And so did his heart. "What the…?"

"Hello, Chosen One. Remember me?" the creature spoke. His voice was all reverb.

Realization suddenly hit Jace like a freight train. "I…" he was too terrified to speak, "…I remember you."

"Yesss." The shadowy creature spoke, "And I remember you well. No thanks to you my plan to dominate the Universe failed last time we met."

Jace couldn't move. He felt his entire being ached with goose bumps, "B-But…" he said, "The Koopalings…"

"The Koopalings," the shadow spoke, "Though as annoying as they are, were good distractions. Capturing Hunt was a good plan for you to lead me straight to the Magiic."

"You sick twisted demon."

The shadow smirked as Simon shrugged, "Hey, you know what they said; if at first you don't succeed, try again."

"They are wrong." Jace managed to speak, "No matter how many times you try, you will never succeed!"

"Oh yeah, Chosen One? And how do you know that?"

Jace was quiet.

"Nothing. Well, in my case, _I _know that I will win…"

Jace watched the Wii U GamePad float above the large Dark Emperor shadow. He took a step back, heart pounding. He was not looking forward to get possessed by that freak again, like it did Simon!

"…because today is my luckiest day yet!"

A blast of light shot out of the magical GamePad and filled the chamber with whiteness. Jace forced himself to watch through the light as Simon reached behind his head and drew a sword with a hilt black as coal but a blade as red as blood. The sword was glowing!

"BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE MAGIIC!" shouted the Dark Emperor before Simon moved toward Jace with blinding speed—!

"NO!"

Jace screamed too late. Simon thrust the blood blade right through him. He felt the blade slice past his chest and he was flown back through an unknown wall like a speeding train.

Then the world went black—!

For only a second.

Jace woke up again from unconsciousness, head throbbing and pounding. He struggled through a pile of bricks and rumbles from a destroyed wall inside an executive building.

He was no longer inside that empty place with the magic GamePad. He was back at the _Gaming Planet_'s office!

And it was nighttime!

"Any last words?"

Simon's voice startled him. He saw the White Knight crouch before him; the Dark Emperor's shadow hovered behind like a terror. And a Final Smash glow enveloping both bodies.

"Before I finish you?" the Emperor's voice echoed.

Jace gasped in pain. "J-just… finish me…already…"

"Guess I will." Simon stood up and raised his Blood Sword.

Jace looked away, bracing himself to get the final blow.

Then he heard a slap and a scream from the Dark Emperor.

He opened his eyes to see Simon remove a dirty bathroom towel off his face. His face was twisted into a vicious scowl.

"WHO DID THAT?" he and the Dark Emperor roared together as they turned to their right.

Jace looked back also. It was the building janitor, Newman!

"Leave him alone!" he said, "He didn't do anything to you!"

Simon grinned. The Dark Emperor chuckled. Whenever he chuckled like this, he was about to do something terrifying. And it involved pain!

"GET OUTTA HERE!" Jace shouted with all his strength just as Simon stepped back with his blood sword behind him, ready for action.

The janitor took off running just as two security guards stepped in front with guns raised at Simon.

"FREEZE!" the officers shouted.

"THAT INCLUDES YOU TWO!" Jace shouted again.

"Too late." Simon and the Dark Emperor said together and the Blood Sword shot a beam of light straight for the security guards!

xxx

"Wait… so what are you saying? One minute everyone in that floor was gone, then the next this violent dude breaks into the tower?" Officer Diego Pertolli asked his partner Jacob Doms as they were walking down the lobby of the Times Warner Building.

"Isn't that crazy?" Jacob said. "Just out of the blue."

Just as Diego was about to say something, an explosion rocked the building. The impact pushed many officers backward and smoke and debris filled the air.

Diego and Jacob coughed out loud. "Buddy, you're okay?" asked Jacob.

Diego struggled to speak, "Y-yeah… I'm…" he blinked his watery eyes as the smoke cleared off. The next thing he saw made him hold his breath in shock. "I'm…I'm…"

"Diego?" his partner called him out, "What is it?"

He pointed his partner two security guards on the ground. They appeared wounded and unconscious.

Jacob knelt before them and briefly touched each their necks. He then faced his partner and shook his head.

xxx

"I've had enough excitement for one day." Simon and the Dark Emperor both said together, turning their attention back to Jace "But now if you'll excuuuuuuse me…" He opened the treasure box to reveal the glowing GamePad, "…I have to unleash the true source of Magiic into the world."

Simon snapped his fingers and the Dark Emperor threw his arms around him before spinning in place until he vanished into thin air. Simon, and the Dark Emperor were gone. With the magic GamePad with it, leaving behind a wounded Jace in the middle of the Gaming Planet office. How did any of that happen in such a short time?

"I can't let him get away with this…" Jace forced himself up to his feet, despite the throbbing pain in every part of his body, "I won't…"

He reached the exit and almost bumped into Alexei. Alexei's jaws dropped, "Whoa, Jacen! What happened to you man?"

"Rogue…" groaned Jace, "this isn't the time. Right now I… I have to stop him." He pushed past his boss.

"Stop who?" Alexei asked.

"Simon!" Jace said, "The Dark Emperor possessed him… and he has the Magiic. And he's gonna unleash it to the—! Well it's a little hard for me to…to explain everything with the condition I'm in now."

Alexei grabbed Jace's arm. "Wait, hold up."

Jace flinched in pain. "Not too hard."

Alexei pulled away, "Sorry. But I finally figured out what's going on."

"Yeah? So do a lot of people." Jace tried leaving again.

"No. I'm trying to say that I can help you."

Jace stopped for a second then turned around, "Wh-what?"

Alexei pulled out of his jeans pocket a glossy dark-blue New Nintendo 3DS XL. The very sight of it made lit up Jace's eyes and everything—all the memories involving the mythical 3rd Dimensional Screen—came flooding back into him.

"Is this…?" Jace gasped, a faint smile formed over his lips.

"I heard it's magical." Alexei said, "And _you_ don't look so good. Just touch it, you'll be good as new, and you can kick that… whatever your twin is… butt."

"Actually, you don't touch it. You use it to summon an item."

"Then stop correcting me and do that." Alexei handed the 3DS to Jace. Jace flipped the device open. The screen revealed to him all the necessary Items he needed. It was like opening up the portable console to an Item menu screen of _Smash Bros. 3DS_.

Jace picked the Heart Container, and an overwhelming warm glow suddenly washed over him from head to toe like soothing waterfall.

In a split second Jace was good as new. No more wound. No more aching pain. He could breathe easily.

"Feeling better?" Alexei asked.

"Better?" Jace said with high resolve, "I'm ready to kick that Emperor's junk and save Simon!"

xxx

Officer Diego Pertolli thought the strange things would've stopped by now. But the crime scene he was investigating with his partner Jacob and Commissioner Mowdalips was just getting weirder and weirder.

Mowdalips couldn't stop staring at the two dead security guards on the floor.

"Oh my…" he muttered before turning to him and Jacob. "…what the hell did he do?"

Jacob looked at his mustached boss, "He did things. Strange things."

"Like?"

"Well," Diego began, "these security guards on duty could told you but…" He sighed, shaking his head, "…that's gonna be hard to explain."

"Wait!" Jacob turned to Diego. "What about the janitor? He saw him twice yesterday, appearing in two places at once."

"What?" Mowdalips said.

"Yeah," Diego said, remembering the star witness, "The janitor. He was like… well, he said that he was some sort of wizard or something." He frowned. "Matter of fact, he's the one who made the 911 call."

"Where is that janitor now?" Mowdalips asked,

Diego was about to respond when a scream made him jump

"Suspect's been spotted!" A security guard yelled as he shot out of the lobby in a panic and out the building.

Then another explosion was heard, shattering a wall before them. Then something like a whistle caught their attention. Everyone turned around to see a beam of light the shape of a sword fly toward them.

Everyone dodged but Mowdalips who didn't had the chance to dodge it. The sword beam of light slashed half his face and he flew backward to a wall, screaming.

Everyone in the lobby went on guard. The officers ducked behind walls and fern plants with guns ready as they watched more beam of sword light rain past them like speeding trains.

"Send in backup! Send in backup! We need the SWAT Team here, stat!" Diego shouted.

Jacob went to his boss and helped him up, "Boss! You're okay?"

Mowdalips struggled to his feet, "I…I'm fine."

Diego turned to look at Mowdalips. His jaws dropped at his face. He was missing his large mustache, "Whoa…"

Jacob stared at his commissioner too. Mowdalips blinked, "What?" He reached to touch his face. "Is my mustache okay?" He asked, already guessing the bad news he was going to get.

"Well sir." Jacob tried not to laugh, "All I can say is that your name finally achieved its purpose." He touched his rim between his nose and upper lip.

Another beam of light shot out of nowhere and split past Mowdalips and Jacob, forcing them to run and hide with the other officers and security guards.

"Where is the SWAT Team?" Mowdalips screamed out of fury and in an instant SWAT Team came rushing in with AK-47, sniper rifles and SWAT glass shields.

Mowdalips pulled out his bullhorn with one hand, gun aiming with the other, "This is the police!" he shouted with fury ringing in his throat, "Come out with your hands up NOW! I repeat, COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP NOW!"

After a brief period the officers watched the suspect coming out of the shadows.

He was a young Italian man with dark spiky hair, slanted green eyes, light-colored skin and average built and sported a trenchcoat over a white vest, glowing shirt, boot cut jeans with the Smash symbol as a belt buckle and casual converses.

In his hand was a sword. It was blood-colored, but glowing.

Diego noticed Mowdalips staring at the suspect, then suddenly lowered his weapon.

"Lower your weapons!" He ordered and everyone obeyed. Everyone but Diego who wasn't ready to lower his gun.

"What? What is it, officer?" Diego asked Mowdalips.

"I know this kid." Mowdalips whispered, studying the approaching suspect.

The suspect dropped his sword and raised his hands. He smirked.

"A little fledgling told me you were looking for me." the suspect spoke. "By the way, what did you do to that cockroach that was crawling on your lips? Decided to kill it?"

Jake and Diego chortled, trying not to laugh. Mowdalips shot them a dark glare. They stopped. He turned to the suspect.

"Jacen Riders!" he shouted his name, "Do you know the kind of trouble you got yourself into, young man?"

"Wait, you know this kid?" Jacob asked.

"…since he was a teenager." Mowdalips bit so hard on his lower lip, he made a cut. "Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker." He then shouted on his bullhorn, "You're under arrest!"

Instantly, two police officers cornered Jacen, grabbed his arms and pinned him on the ground while handcuffing him.

"And this time, you're going away for a loooong, long time." Mowdalips sneered.

Diego finally lowered his gun and cautiously approached the suspect being handcuffed. The two officers pulled Jacen to his feet. That's when Diego clearly saw his face.

"Officer Mowdalips. That's not Jacen." He warned.

Mowdalips turned to Diego, "What are you talking about?" he snarled, "that IS Jacen!"

"Yeah? Well, I KNOW Jacen." Diego argued, "I know that because I know his family. And this one looks NOTHING like him!"

The strange suspect smirked an evil smile, "You're right. I am not him."

In an instant, the evil suspect snapped his two handcuffed arms free and shoved the two officers that were restraining him backward. They fell on their heads and slumped into unconsciousness.

The suspect then turned to Mowdalips and Jacob who pulled out their guns but too late. He outstretched his arm at them and they flew backward too. He then turned to the SWAT team who opened fire at him. But a giant red shield formed over him and their bullets hit nothing but the shield.

He threw his hands forward and the giant shield shattered into million pieces and flew on every SWAT team members, striking them down.

The suspect finally turned to Diego, who didn't put his gun away, but didn't open fire either. The Jacen lookalike snapped his fingers and the blood sword flew off the floor to get inches close to Diego's throat. Diego gasped.

"If I were you, I'd get out of my way."

"Not today!" another voice spoke. The suspect and Diego looked up. Diego's jaws dropped at the sight of a swirling vortex opening up above him, right above the suspect, and another man dropped on him. It was Jace. The REAL Jace.

The blood sword dropped on the ground, freeing Diego.

Now Diego was watching two Jaces fighting.

"FREEZE! BOTH OF YOU!" Diego shouted, gun pointing at the fighting men, "Or I'll shoot!"

The two men stopped fighting, one on top of the other. Both had a fist ready to deliver the next blow. Diego could now see they were really two Jaces fighting. Twins.

"Are you guys…?" he asked.

"What? NO!" the first Jace shouted, "I would never be a twin to this evil freak!"

"I second that." The second Jace said before pushing the first one off him. He jumped to his feet and pulled out a treasure box from out of nowhere.

"And the name is Simon." The second Jace—the evil one and the suspect—spoke, "Gladly possessed by the Dark Emperor. You may not see it because you're not special."

Diego blinked. He WAS actually seeing it. He saw instead of Simon's shadow, a much larger shadow that had sharp teeth and sharp eyes, and was glowing a bright poisonous green. He looked like a monster.

Simon noticed Diego's jaws open.

"Oh… so you _do _see it huh?" he and the Dark Emperor spoke together in unison, "That means you're special too. Well, I don't care. All I care about is using the true power of the Magiic."

He pulled out of nowhere, as if by magic, a treasure box. He opened the treasure box to reveal a Platinum glowing Wii U GamePad.

"Wait a minute." Diego frowned, "You kill and attack people just so that you can get your hands on a Wii U GamePad?"

"It's not just a Wii U GamePad!" Jace said, "It's dangerous! And we can't let him use it!" Jace grabbed the blood sword and threw it at Simon. The blood sword cut past Simon's wrists. Simon let go off the treasure box which flew in the air. The Wii U GamePad came out of the treasure box.

"NOOOO!" Simon screamed and ran for the box, but wasn't fast enough. Jace moved past him, jumped and grabbed the Wii U GamePad like it was a football and landed on the floor.

Simon and the shadow demon over him both screamed all the more with sheer panic. Diego didn't wonder why for too long because the GamePad started glowing in Jace's hands and a powerful light overwhelmed the entire lobby, blinding everyone's sights for a solid minute.

The light finally diminished and Diego saw something in Jace that robbed his breath away.

"Oh my god…" he gasped, "…your hands."

Jace sat up and stared at his hands. They were lighting up like either white hot flames or some kind of fireworks show. His left hand were flashing blue, violet, dark-green and brown. His right hand were flashing red, yellow, pink, and orange. Both hands were shooting sparks of electricity.

"What's happening to your hands?" Diego tried to keep his voice from trembling.

"This… cannot…be…HAPPENING!" screamed Simon and the monster shadow behind him. "The Magiic is being contained now!"

"Well if that so-called Magic is being contained by Jace, then how come he's shooting sparks of electricity from his hands?" Diego asked. "And what happened to that GamePad?"

The demon growled in Simon, "the Magiic…" he said, "It got sucked into his very own soul and it's tapping into the Chosen's true potential…"

"Are you saying that the Magiic is inside me and I can control it?" Jace asked.

Simon and the Dark shadow hovering above him said nothing. The silence answered his question.

Jace stood up, his hands were still glowing and shooting out electricity. "Diego. I think you need to step back. Simon and I have some… issues that needs to get resolved."

He shot out his left hand and a powerful surge of violet electricity shot out of it toward Simon and the creature. Both of them disappeared but the electricity went and struck down two SWAT team members instead. Their bodies flew through a wall, shattering its bricks. They disappeared into the billowing dust cloud.

Jace's jaws dropped. "What the…?"

"Too fast for me." Simon and the creature startled Jace from behind.

"Watch out!" shouted Diego.

The Dark creature raised his massive arm, ready to strike Jace down.

Suddenly Simon started floating midair.

"Wuh…what's happening?" he said, "What's…why am I floating?" he turned to the shadow behind him, "Are you really doing this? Stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything!" shouted the shadow.

Diego turned to Jace. Jace shook his head. Despite his hands glowing, he wasn't doing anything either.

Both boys turned to the source and saw Hunt by the stairs with Alexei 'Rogue' Santiago, who looked flabbergasted by what he was seeing. Hunt had his hand outstretched toward Simon and the creature. But they weren't glowing!

"Hunt!" Jace said. "You're alive!"

"Betcha didn't expected my return huh Dark Emperor?" Hunt shouted.

"You're SO gonna regret this, boys!" shouted both Simon and the dark shadow, floating helplessly in the air.

Hunt swung his arm and Simon and the Dark Emperor flew straight out the building door and right into the back of a police cruiser.

"YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!" he heard the Dark Emperor scream.

"Yeah! And a Merry Christmas to you too!" Hunt shouted back.

xxx

The police and SWAT Team started leaving the scene. But Hunt and his best friend and boss, Jace and the Rogue, were with Officer Diego Pertolli, the only one who had witnessed all the events that went down tonight.

"Wait, you're going to keep this quiet?" asked Hunt and Officer Diego nodded. "But isn't that gonna jeopardize your job?"

"Telling Commissioner Mowdalips what really happen WILL jeopardize my career, especially since he couldn't see the portal and he already thinks I'm crazy." He said.

"Portal?" the Rogue said, "So he told you about what we had in our office?"

"No," Diego said, "I figured that one out because I saw another one just today."

"Really? Where?" asked the Rogue.

"You wouldn't believe it." Diego said, "…but it was the Nintendo World Store. Just above it."

Hunt, Jace and the Rogue all looked at each other.

"I was in my patrol car with my partner Jacob when I noticed it. I pointed it to him but he said he saw nothing." Diego said, "Even weirder today, I saw two Koopa Troopas walking down the street and couple of Business Shrubs from the _Legend of Zelda_ having lunch with actual business smucks."

"You're kidding me?" Jace gasped.

Diego shook his head, "Not kidding. I don't know what's going on, but after seeing that Wii U GamePad and what it did to you, Jacen, I think the Nintendo World is real."

The trio looked at each other again.

"I know, I know… call me crazy, but…"

"You're not!" Hunt said, "We kinda saw the same thing too. Well, actually, I did saw the same thing. Winged Pikmin and Machokes and Waddle Dees."

"If what that Simon creature says is true," the Rogue pondered with one hand on his chin, "Nintendo Magic is spreading in our world. All thanks to that Wii U GamePad called Magiic. And those who are big fan of the video game company like myself are the only one able to see it."

"But the big question is: what are we going to do about it?" Jace asked.

"Nothing." Diego said.

The group turned to him curiously. "Nothing?" Hunt said.

"Yes. Nothing. Except we need to do one thing only: keep everything we saw a secret. Including what we're seeing and what we'll be seeing. Since we're the only ones so far that know what's going on."

Sparks of electricity shot from Jace's hands again, startling the group.

"Yeah… that's gonna be hard to keep _these_ hands secret." He said.

"Here." Diego pulled out of his pockets his black leather gloves and handed it to Jace, "Put this on. It'll keep people from talking."

Jace took the gloves and slipped them on.

"As for the criminal," Diego went on, "he will stay behind bars for a long time. Anyway, we should take our leave. Stay out of trouble guys and Merry Christmas."

Diego turned around and started leaving.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Officer Diego!" said Hunt.

"And don't worry, I'm gonna make sure these guys stay sane!" said the Rogue.

Jace gave the Rogue a strange stare, "…sane?"

The Rogue shrugged.

Jace turned to Hunt, "Dude, seriously! How did you escape the Koopalings?"

"Well, let's just say they made a terrible mistake freeing me from that trophy spell." Hunt said, "Once they did, I used my…"

"…Kung-Fu Taekwondo skills on them?" Jace and Hunt said together in unison. Then they bumped fists. "Nice." Jace said.

"But explain to me that telekinesis move you did to Simon." The Rogue asked.

Hunt paused. Now that was something he didn't know how to explain to his best friend and his boss. "I'm guessing the Magiic has affected me too."

"No kidding that the Magiic has affected all of us." The Rogue said, "Not only can we all now see things like portals," he then pointed at Jace, "but you managed to contain it but got out-of-control magic as a result," he then pointed at Hunt, "and you got Telekinesis to move things with your mind."

"And what does that make you?" asked Hunt with an almost gloating tone.

"Good thing you asked." He raised his chin up, "I just happened to have inherited the Super Speed, Super Sonic-style!"

Hunt laughed. "No you didn't."

"What? Can a man dream?"

Both Jace and Hunt shook heads.

Alexei sighed in defeat, "Fine, I don't. Thanks for ruining my mojo."

Both Jace and Hunt laughed. The trio walked down the large silent lobby for the elevator.

"I wonder if we can keep our powers secret." Hunt said before noticing Alexei and Jace staring at him.

"What?" He shrugged, "I want to enjoy the little power that I have as long as I have it! Telekinesis! Moving things with your mind! Don't tell me you don't feel that way too!"

"Hunt. Buddy." Jace wrapped his arm around Hunt's shoulder, "You gotta remember, with every power comes great responsibility."

Alexei pressed the elevator button. It took the trio a moment of silence before they started laughing hard at Jace's comment.

"Haha! Ohh good one!" Hunt wiped away a tear, "I almost believed you!"

"Right?" Jace agreed along.

"But no you're right." Hunt said,"Jace and I gotta keep our powers secret. We don't wanna look like weirdoes to people, especially since we're seeing Nintendo characters in real life."

The elevator swung open and the guys entered it. Alexei pressed a floor number going up.

"But I don't get it." Hunt said, "We're actually _seeing_ Nintendo characters in the city. I got captured by Koopalings, and yet, something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Jace asked.

"What I mean is… where are Mario and Luigi? Where's Link? And Kirby and Samus? And that Magiic that you maintained. That Wii U GamePad. What _really _happened to it?"

The elevator swung open and Alexei let out a sharp gasp of breath.

"Uhh, guys?" He spoke, "You might wanna hold on to these questions for another while… until we actually _meet _them."

Jace and Hunt turned around. Jace felt his jaws drop. Hunt held their breath.

They were now staring at a field of green grass, gorgeous flowers, mushrooms from those that glided on the meadow to human ones that passed by and greeted each other, and stars with dots for eyes, all on top of what felt like a moving asteroid or a spaceship!

"Did we just died?" Hunt asked, "…and gone to Heaven?"

"No we're very much alive." Jace said, "But we're not in Heaven. We're in Mario Galaxy."

**xXx**

**Next Episode: **_Gamers in HD_


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